Figure 1.

Proposed model for Etf-1-mediated autophagy fueling E. chaffeensis growth. Secreted Etf-1 interacts with RAB5, VPS34, and Beclin 1 to induce complex formation and localize to the ATG5-positive “precursor of preautophagosomes.” If not fused with E. chaffeensis inclusions, Etf-1 autophagosomes mature to autolysosomes to generate cytosolic nutrients (∘∘) (right side). When nascent Etf-1 preautophagosomes fuse with E. chaffeensis inclusions, they deliver captured cytosolic nutrients to the inclusions where lysosomal fusion is blocked (left side).