Distinct effects of Atg3 and Atg10 on Autophagosome Formation in Yeast

In nitrogen-starved baker’s yeast, reduced Atg3 activity mainly shifts Atg8 lipidation and autophagosome size, while reduced Atg10 activity mainly controls autophagosome number.

• Why it matters: Both Atg3 and Atg10 are required for autophagy, but their specific contributions to autophagosome formation—especially lipidation, flux, and organelle morphology—were unclear.
• What they did: The study used baker’s yeast expressing mutant Atg3 and Atg10 variants that reduce, but do not eliminate, activity, then measured Atg8 lipidation, autophagic flux, and autophagosome size and number during nitrogen starvation.
• The result: Atg3 primarily affected Atg8 lipidation and autophagosome size, whereas Atg10 had less impact on Atg8 lipidation and primarily regulated autophagosome number, implying a distinct, not-yet-defined role for the Atg12-Atg5 conjugate.

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