# The prevalence and mechanism of selectivity in basal autophagy

> **NIH NIH R35** · UNIVERSITY OF ROCHESTER · 2020 · $381,738

## Abstract

Summary
In eukaryotic cells, the process of macroautophagy is the principal catabolic pathway for the
degradation of long-lived proteins and its impairment has been linked to a number of
proteostatic disorders. Although it is known that macroautophagy can selectively target
specific proteins and organelles for lysosomic degradation, the molecular mechanism of
this selectivity remains incompletely understood. Here, we are proposing to develop novel
proteome-wide approaches to investigate the mechanism of selectivity in macroautophagy.
By providing global maps of autophagic flux, we will identify subsets of proteins that rely on
macroautophagy for their constitutive turnover and determine the molecular receptors
required for their selective degradation. Additionally, we will globally characterize the ability
of macroautophagy to selectively target proteins with age-induced damage and clear
pathogenic protein aggregates that accumulate during the course of prion diseases.
Together, the proposed experiments will provide insights into the mechanism of cargo
selection by the autophagy pathway and establish generally applicable proteomic
methodologies for quantifying autophagic flux in cultured cells. Furthermore, our studies will
provide insights into the role of autophagy in mitigating the proteostatic disruptions that
occur during the course of prion diseases, and may identify novel therapeutic approaches
targeting these disorders.

## Key facts

- **NIH application ID:** 9923703
- **Project number:** 5R35GM119502-05
- **Recipient organization:** UNIVERSITY OF ROCHESTER
- **Principal Investigator:** SINA GHAEMMAGHAMI
- **Activity code:** R35 (R01, R21, SBIR, etc.)
- **Funding institute:** NIH
- **Fiscal year:** 2020
- **Award amount:** $381,738
- **Award type:** 5
- **Project period:** 2016-08-01 → 2021-05-31

## Primary source

NIH RePORTER: https://reporter.nih.gov/project-details/9923703

## Citation

> US National Institutes of Health, RePORTER application 9923703, The prevalence and mechanism of selectivity in basal autophagy (5R35GM119502-05). Retrieved via AI Analytics 2026-05-28 from https://api.ai-analytics.org/grant/nih/9923703. Licensed CC0.

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