Beating the ER: novel insights into FAM134B function and regulation

To maintain cellular homeostasis, the endoplasmic reticulum (ER) necessitates a continuous removal of ER fragments via a selective, receptor-mediated, form of autophagy known as ER-phagy. In this issue of The EMBO Journal, Jiang et al (2020) shed light on how the best characterized autophagy receptor FAM134B mediates ER membrane fragmentation, the earliest event during ER-phagy. They propose a dynamic model for FAM134B protein oligomerization and ER membrane scission, which are driven by CAMK2B-mediated phosphorylation of the receptor and are altered in sensory neuropathy.