Biochem/physiol Actions
Beclin 1 (BECN1) is able to complement the autophagy deficiency of yeast lacking autophagy-related gene 6 (Atg6) and restores autophagy in human MCF7 breast carcinoma cells. Beclin 1 plays a major role in the early development of embryo. It also serves as a haplo-insufficient tumor-suppressor gene. Heterozygous Beclin 1 mutant mice have increased spontaneous tumorigenesis. Beclin 1 is monoallelically deleted in a high percentage of sporadic human breast, ovarian and prostate carcinomas and is expressed at reduced levels in those tumors. In human brains BECN1 decreases in an age-dependent fashion, possibly leading to a reduction of autophagic activity during aging, which may contribute to the accumulation of mutant Huntingtin and the age-delayed disease onset of Huntington disease.