# SNARE-mediated membrane fusion involved in autophagosome biogenesis

> **NIH NIH R35** · UNIVERSITY OF CINCINNATI · 2020 · $73,455

## Abstract

PROJECT SUMMARY
Autophagy is a crucial catabolic pathway by which cellular waste is recycled. Autophagic dysfunction has
been implicated in cellular quality control, responses to stress, development, lifespan, and a range of
infectious and other diseases in humans, including cancer, neurodegenerative diseases, and diabetes.
Membrane fusion is a critical process involved in autophagosome biogenesis. The exact molecular
mechanism of autophagic membrane fusion remains far from clear and thus a major topic of investigation.
Since membrane fusion activity could act as a switch to spatially and temporally regulate the autophagic flux
in human diseases due to its dysregulation, dissecting the fusion machinery is essential to understanding
the exact roles of autophagy in specific disease contexts. Therefore, studying the regulatory mechanism of
membrane fusion will provide the opportunity to develop new therapeutic strategies in order to control
activity of autophagy. Based on our preliminary findings, we hypothesize that the morphology and
modification status of autophagic SNAREs are important for mediating membrane fusion involved in
autophagosome biogenesis, while this process is regulated by accessory proteins including nuclear
receptor binding factor 2 and Atg9. Further systematical studies on the role of SNARE-mediated membrane
fusion in autophagosome maturation and initiation are critical to elucidate detailed molecular mechanisms,
which could offer therapeutic advances. Moreover, an attempt to find new fusogens and reconstitute the
early autophagosome biogenesis is an important expansion, which is also essential for future drug
development.

## Key facts

- **NIH application ID:** 10134040
- **Project number:** 3R35GM128837-02S1
- **Recipient organization:** UNIVERSITY OF CINCINNATI
- **Principal Investigator:** Jiajie Diao
- **Activity code:** R35 (R01, R21, SBIR, etc.)
- **Funding institute:** NIH
- **Fiscal year:** 2020
- **Award amount:** $73,455
- **Award type:** 3
- **Project period:** 2018-08-01 → 2023-07-31

## Primary source

NIH RePORTER: https://reporter.nih.gov/project-details/10134040

## Citation

> US National Institutes of Health, RePORTER application 10134040, SNARE-mediated membrane fusion involved in autophagosome biogenesis (3R35GM128837-02S1). Retrieved via AI Analytics 2026-05-22 from https://api.ai-analytics.org/grant/nih/10134040. Licensed CC0.

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