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.