Guiding lipid flow for autophagosome growth

A collaboration between the CellNanOs groups of Arne Möller and Christian Ungermann uncovered how Atg18 controls Atg2-mediated lipid transfer during autophagy. Using cryo-EM, the researchers resolved the yeast Atg2–Atg18 complex and identified a key interaction site required for efficient phagophore elongation. The structure reveals lipids throughout the Atg2 channel, while simulations uncover how Atg18 positions it at the membrane interface to promote lipid delivery.