Becn1 - beclin 1, autophagy related

Enables identical protein binding activity. Involved in several processes, including autophagy of mitochondrion; cellular response to glucose starvation; and engulfment of apoptotic cell. Acts upstream of or within several processes, including amyloid-beta metabolic process; negative regulation of autophagosome assembly; and positive regulation of cardiac muscle hypertrophy. Located in autophagosome; phagocytic vesicle; and trans-Golgi network. Part of phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase complex, class III. Is expressed in central nervous system; extraembryonic visceral endoderm; sensory organ; and spleen. Used to study systemic lupus erythematosus. Human ortholog(s) of this gene implicated in Machado-Joseph disease. Orthologous to human BECN1 (beclin 1). [provided by Alliance of Genome Resources, Apr 2022]