MAP1LC3C

MAP1LC3C, or microtubule-associated protein 1 light chain 3C, is a human gene encoding a member of the LC3/GABARAP family of autophagy-related proteins. LC3 proteins are ubiquitin-like modifiers that regulate autophagosome formation and are used as markers to study autophagy.

MAP1LC3C is translated as a precursor protein that is cleaved by ATG4 to generate LC3-C, which is then conjugated to phosphatidylethanolamine by the ATG7-ATG3 conjugation system. The lipidated form, LC3-II, associates with autophagosomal membranes and participates in the expansion and maturation of autophagosomes. LC3 proteins facilitate cargo recruitment through interactions with autophagy receptor proteins via LC3-interacting region (LIR) motifs, contributing to selective autophagy.

Expression of MAP1LC3C has been detected in multiple human tissues, with expression levels that can differ from those of other LC3 family members. While LC3A and LC3B are often more abundant in many contexts, LC3C has been observed in a variety of cell types and physiological settings, and its precise role relative to other LC3 paralogs remains an active area of study.

In research contexts, MAP1LC3C is investigated as part of the broader autophagy pathway and as a marker for autophagosome dynamics. Its specific contributions to autophagy, selective cargo recognition, and disease-related processes are still being characterized, but, like other LC3 family proteins, MAP1LC3C is a component of the molecular machinery that drives autophagosome formation and turnover.