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atg-18 Autophagy-related protein 18 [ Caenorhabditis elegans ]

Gene ID: 179246, updated on 4-Feb-2026
Official Symbol
atg-18
Official Full Name
Autophagy-related protein 18
Primary source
WormBase:WBGene00018294
Locus tag
CELE_F41E6.13
See related
AllianceGenome:WB:WBGene00018294
Gene type
protein coding
RefSeq status
REVIEWED
Organism
Caenorhabditis elegans (strain: Bristol N2)
Lineage
Eukaryota; Metazoa; Ecdysozoa; Nematoda; Chromadorea; Rhabditida; Rhabditina; Rhabditomorpha; Rhabditoidea; Rhabditidae; Peloderinae; Caenorhabditis
Summary
Enables phosphatidylinositol phosphate binding activity. Involved in several processes, including determination of adult lifespan; germ cell proliferation; and xenophagy. Acts upstream of or within with a positive effect on plasma membrane repair. Located in phagocytic vesicle. Is expressed in several structures, including hypodermis; intestine; nervous system; pharynx; and tail. Used to study Huntington's disease. Orthologous to human WIPI1 (WD repeat domain, phosphoinositide interacting 1) and WIPI2 (WD repeat domain, phosphoinositide interacting 2). [provided by Alliance of Genome Resources, Jul 2025]
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See atg-18 in Genome Data Viewer
Location:
chromosome: V
Exon count:
7
Sequence:
Chromosome: V; NC_003283.11 (8629224..8631327, complement)

Chromosome V - NC_003283.11Genomic Context describing neighboring genes Neighboring gene uncharacterized protein Neighboring gene Protein quiver Neighboring gene DUF19 domain-containing protein Neighboring gene Acyl_transf_3 domain-containing protein Neighboring gene Ground-like domain-containing protein

Genomic Sequence:
NC_003283.11

Go to nucleotide: Graphics FASTA GenBank

Related articles in PubMed

  1. The cell non-autonomous function of ATG-18 is essential for neuroendocrine regulation of Caenorhabditis elegans lifespan. Minnerly J, et al. PLoS Genet, 2017 May. PMID 28557996, Free PMC Article
  2. WIPI-Mediated Autophagy and Longevity. Grimmel M, et al. Cells, 2015 May 22. PMID 26010754, Free PMC Article
  3. Nonselective autophagy reduces mitochondrial content during starvation in Caenorhabditis elegans. Hibshman JD, et al. Am J Physiol Cell Physiol, 2018 Dec 1. PMID 30133321, Free PMC Article
  4. ATG-18 and EPG-6 are Both Required for Autophagy but Differentially Contribute to Lifespan Control in Caenorhabditis elegans. Takacs Z, et al. Cells, 2019 Mar 12. PMID 30871075, Free PMC Article
  5. Neuroendocrine regulation of fat metabolism by autophagy gene atg-18 in C. elegans dauer larvae. Jia R, et al. FEBS Open Bio, 2019 Sep. PMID 31368651, Free PMC Article

See all (65) citations in PubMed

GeneRIFs: Gene References Into Functions

What's a GeneRIF?
  1. in the absence of either ATG-18 or EPG-6 autophagy was impaired, and while atg-18 mutant animals showed a short-lived phenotype, lifespan was significantly increased in epg-6 mutant animals.
    Title: ATG-18 and EPG-6 are Both Required for Autophagy but Differentially Contribute to Lifespan Control in Caenorhabditis elegans.
  2. Using pharmacological and genetic approaches, we found that worms deficient for autophagy were short-lived during starvation and recovered poorly from extended starvation, indicating sensitivity to nutrient stress. Autophagy mutants unc-51/Atg1 and atg-18/Atg18 maintained greater mtDNA content than wild-type worms during starvation, suggesting that autophagy promotes mitochondrial degradation during starvation
    Title: Nonselective autophagy reduces mitochondrial content during starvation in Caenorhabditis elegans.
  3. ATG-18 acts cell non-autonomously in neuronal and intestinal tissues to maintain C. elegans wildtype lifespan and to respond to DR and IGF-mediated longevity signaling.
    Title: The cell non-autonomous function of ATG-18 is essential for neuroendocrine regulation of Caenorhabditis elegans lifespan.
  4. The autophagy proteins ATG-18 was sequentially recruited to internalized apoptotic Q cells in the phagocyte.
    Title: Autophagy genes function sequentially to promote apoptotic cell corpse degradation in the engulfing cell.
Submit: New GeneRIF Correction
Products Interactant Other Gene Complex Source Pubs Description

Markers

Homology

Gene Ontology Provided by WormBase

Function Evidence Code Pubs
enables lipid binding IEA
Inferred from Electronic Annotation
more info
  
enables phosphatidylinositol-3,5-bisphosphate binding IBA
Inferred from Biological aspect of Ancestor
more info
  
enables phosphatidylinositol-3,5-bisphosphate binding IDA
Inferred from Direct Assay
more info
 PubMed 
enables phosphatidylinositol-3-phosphate binding IBA
Inferred from Biological aspect of Ancestor
more info
  
enables phosphatidylinositol-3-phosphate binding IDA
Inferred from Direct Assay
more info
 PubMed 
enables phosphatidylinositol-4-phosphate binding IDA
Inferred from Direct Assay
more info
 PubMed 
enables phosphatidylinositol-5-phosphate binding IDA
Inferred from Direct Assay
more info
 PubMed 
enables protein-macromolecule adaptor activity IBA
Inferred from Biological aspect of Ancestor
more info
  
Process Evidence Code Pubs
involved_in apoptotic cell clearance IMP
Inferred from Mutant Phenotype
more info
 PubMed 
involved_in autophagy IEA
Inferred from Electronic Annotation
more info
  
involved_in autophagy IGI
Inferred from Genetic Interaction
more info
 PubMed 
involved_in autophagy of mitochondrion IBA
Inferred from Biological aspect of Ancestor
more info
  
involved_in cellular response to toxic substance IMP
Inferred from Mutant Phenotype
more info
 PubMed 
involved_in dauer larval development IGI
Inferred from Genetic Interaction
more info
 PubMed 
involved_in determination of adult lifespan IGI
Inferred from Genetic Interaction
more info
 PubMed 
involved_in embryo development ending in birth or egg hatching IGI
Inferred from Genetic Interaction
more info
 PubMed 
involved_in embryonic morphogenesis IGI
Inferred from Genetic Interaction
more info
 PubMed 
involved_in germ cell proliferation IMP
Inferred from Mutant Phenotype
more info
 PubMed 
involved_in germ-line stem cell division IMP
Inferred from Mutant Phenotype
more info
 PubMed 
involved_in glycophagy IBA
Inferred from Biological aspect of Ancestor
more info
  
involved_in nucleophagy IBA
Inferred from Biological aspect of Ancestor
more info
  
involved_in pexophagy IBA
Inferred from Biological aspect of Ancestor
more info
  
acts_upstream_of_or_within_positive_effect plasma membrane repair IMP
Inferred from Mutant Phenotype
more info
 PubMed 
involved_in positive regulation of autophagy IMP
Inferred from Mutant Phenotype
more info
 PubMed 
involved_in programmed cell death IGI
Inferred from Genetic Interaction
more info
 PubMed 
involved_in protein catabolic process IMP
Inferred from Mutant Phenotype
more info
 PubMed 
involved_in protein localization to phagophore assembly site IBA
Inferred from Biological aspect of Ancestor
more info
  
involved_in xenophagy IMP
Inferred from Mutant Phenotype
more info
 PubMed 
Component Evidence Code Pubs
located_in cytoplasm IDA
Inferred from Direct Assay
more info
 PubMed 
located_in cytoplasm IEA
Inferred from Electronic Annotation
more info
  
located_in cytoplasmic vesicle IEA
Inferred from Electronic Annotation
more info
  
located_in phagocytic vesicle IDA
Inferred from Direct Assay
more info
 PubMed 
located_in phagocytic vesicle membrane IEA
Inferred from Electronic Annotation
more info
  
is_active_in phagophore assembly site membrane IBA
Inferred from Biological aspect of Ancestor
more info
  
Preferred Names
Autophagy-related protein 18
NP_741576.1
  • Confirmed by transcript evidence
NP_741577.1
  • Partially confirmed by transcript evidence

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Genome Annotation

The following sections contain reference sequences that belong to a specific genome build. Explain

Reference assembly

Genomic

  1. NC_003283.11 Reference assembly

    Range
    8629224..8631327 complement
    Download
    GenBank, FASTA, Sequence Viewer (Graphics)

mRNA and Protein(s)

  1. NM_171492.6 → NP_741577.1  Autophagy-related protein 18

    See identical proteins and their annotated locations for NP_741577.1

    Status: REVIEWED

    UniProtKB/TrEMBL
    H2KYN5
    Conserved Domains (2) summary
    COG2319
    Location:93 → 365
    WD40; WD40 repeat [General function prediction only]
    sd00039
    Location:96 → 142
    7WD40; WD40 repeat [structural motif]

  2. NM_171491.6 → NP_741576.1  Autophagy-related protein 18

    See identical proteins and their annotated locations for NP_741576.1

    Status: REVIEWED

    UniProtKB/Swiss-Prot
    H2KYN5, O16466
    Conserved Domains (2) summary
    COG2319
    Location:93 → 365
    WD40; WD40 repeat [General function prediction only]
    sd00039
    Location:96 → 142
    7WD40; WD40 repeat [structural motif]
Nucleotide Protein
Heading Accession and Version
Protein Accession Links
GenPept Link UniProtKB Link
O16466.1

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