Atg7 (Atg7)

Atg7 is a core autophagy-related protein with E1-like enzyme activity, responsible for activating and transferring Atg8 (LC3/GABARAP) family proteins to facilitate autophagosome formation. In addition to its role in classical autophagy, Atg7 is involved in immune regulation (such as LC3-associated phagocytosis, LAP), cell cycle control, apoptosis, and non-conventional protein secretion. It plays a crucial role in maintaining organelle homeostasis, removing damaged cellular components, and responding to cellular stress.
Loss of Atg7 can lead to neurodegenerative diseases such as Alzheimer’s disease, Parkinson’s disease, and amyotrophic lateral sclerosis. Moreover, Atg7 can both suppress tumor development and enhance tumor cell survival under extreme conditions. Atg7 also plays a significant role in infection defense and metabolic homeostasis, with its deficiency potentially increasing the risk of infections and being associated with metabolic diseases such as type 2 diabetes and fatty liver disease. Therefore, Atg7 is a potential research target for multiple diseases^[1].