ULK1 belongs to the serine/threonine protein kinase family. It is involved in axon growth and plays an essential role in neurite branching during sensory axon outgrowth. Knockdown of ULK1 results in impaired endocytosis of nerve growth factor (NGF), excessive axon arborization, and severely stunted axon elongation indicating that ULK1 mediates a non clathrin coated endocytosis in sensory growth cones. Knockdown of ULK1 also inhibits the autophagic response. It appears to act as a convergence point for multiple signals that regulate autophagy, and in turn interacts with a large number of autophagy related (Atg) proteins.
