beclin 1(BECN1) Homo sapiens This gene encodes a protein that regulates autophagy, a catabolic process of degradation induced by starvation. The encoded protein is a component of the phosphatidylinositol-3-kinase (PI3K) complex which mediates vesicle-trafficking processes. This protein is thought to play a role in multiple cellular processes, including tumorigenesis, neurodegeneration and apoptosis. Alternative splicing results in multiple transcript variants. [provided by RefSeq, Sep 2015],function:Plays a central role in autophagy (By similarity). May play a role in antiviral host defense. Protects against infection by a neurovirulent strain of Sindbis virus.,similarity:Belongs to the beclin family.,subcellular location:Expressed in dendrites and cell bodies of cerebellar Purkinje cells.,subunit:Interacts with GOPC and GRID2. Interacts with AMBRA1. Probably forms a complex with AMBRA1 and PIK3C3 (By similarity). Interacts with BCL2 and BCL2L1.,tissue specificity:Ubiquitous.,
