ULK1 belongs to the Ser/Thr protein kinase family. It interacts with GABARAP and GABARAPL2 and is important for vesicle transport and axonal elongation in mammalian neurons. It is involved in starvation-induced autophagy, thus maintaining homeostasis. It is colocalized in many kind of neurons such as pyramidal cells of the hippocampus, mitral cells of the olfactory bulb, and Purkinje cells of the cerebellum.ulK1 plays an essential role in neurite extension of cerebellar granule cells. It is expressed in the following adult tissues: skeletal muscle, heart, pancreas, brain, placenta, liver, kidney, and lung.