# SNARE-mediated membrane fusion involved in autophagosome biogenesis

> **NIH NIH R35** · UNIVERSITY OF CINCINNATI · 2022 · $153,097

## 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:** 10582100
- **Project number:** 3R35GM128837-05S1
- **Recipient organization:** UNIVERSITY OF CINCINNATI
- **Principal Investigator:** Jiajie Diao
- **Activity code:** R35 (R01, R21, SBIR, etc.)
- **Funding institute:** NIH
- **Fiscal year:** 2022
- **Award amount:** $153,097
- **Award type:** 3
- **Project period:** 2018-08-01 → 2024-07-31

## Primary source

NIH RePORTER: https://reporter.nih.gov/project-details/10582100

## Citation

> US National Institutes of Health, RePORTER application 10582100, SNARE-mediated membrane fusion involved in autophagosome biogenesis (3R35GM128837-05S1). Retrieved via AI Analytics 2026-07-20 from https://api.ai-analytics.org/grant/nih/10582100. Licensed CC0.

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