WD Repeat Domain Phosphoinositide Interacting Protein 2 (WIPI2)

WD40 repeat proteins are key components of many essential biologic functions. They regulate the assembly of multiprotein complexes by presenting a beta-propeller platform for simultaneous and reversible protein-protein interactions. Members of the WIPI subfamily of WD40 repeat proteins, such as WIPI2, have a 7-bladed propeller structure and contain a conserved motif for interaction with phospholipids.

WIPI2 is the mammalian homolog of Atg18, not Atg21, along with the closely related protein, WIPI1. WIPI2 mRNA is readily detectable in several commonly used laboratory cell lines (HEK293A, HeLa, A431) and several cancer cell lines, while WIPI1 expression is limited to cancer cells.