Required for cytoplasm to vacuole transport (Cvt), autophagy, nucleophagy, and mitophagy, as a part of the autophagy-specific VPS34 PI3-kinase complex I. This complex is essential to recruit the ATG8-phosphatidylinositol conjugate and the ATG12-ATG5 conjugate to the pre-autophagosomal structure. Also involved in endosome-to-Golgi retrograde transport as part of the VPS34 PI3-kinase complex II. This second complex is required for the endosome-to-Golgi retrieval of PEP1 and KEX2, and the recruitment of VPS5 and VPS7, two components of the retromer complex, to endosomal membranes (probably through the synthesis of a specific pool of phosphatidylinositol 3-phosphate recruiting the retromer to the endosomes). Also plays a role in regulation of filamentous growth. Component of the autophagy-specific VPS34 PI3-kinase complex I composed of VPS15, VPS30, VPS34, ATG14 and ATG38; and of the VPS34 PI3-kinase complex II composed of VPS15, VPS30, VPS34 and VPS38. With the VPS34 PI3-kinase complex I, localizes to the vacuole-isolation membrane contact site (VICS) during isolation membrane (IM) expansion. The IM is a membrane sac generated from the pre-autophagosomal structure that ultimately expands to become a mature autophagosome. The C-terminal domain called the BARA domain is dispensable for the construction of both VPS34 PI3-kinase complexes, but is specifically required for autophagy through the targeting of complex I to the pre-autophagosomal structure. Present with 2490 molecules/cell in log phase SD medium. Belongs to the beclin family.