Microtubule Associated Protein 1 Light Chain 3 Beta (MAP1LC3b)

MAP1LC3b is a subunit of neuronal microtubule-associated MAP1A and MAP1B proteins, which are involved in microtubule assembly and important for neurogenesis. Studies on the rat homolog implicate a role for this gene in autophagy, a process that involves the bulk degradation of cytoplasmic component.The deduced 125-amino acid protein shares 94% identity with rat Map1lc3. Northern blot analysis detected transcripts of 2.5 and 1.0 kb abundantly expressed in heart, brain, skeletal muscle, and testis, with weaker expression in all other tissues examined. MAP1LC3B was posttranslationally modified. Unlike MAP1LC3A and MAP1LC3C, however, MAP1LC3B did not undergo C-terminal cleavage and did not require the conserved gly120 for posttranslational modification. The essential site for modification of MAP1LC3B was lys122.