Involved in autophagy (PubMed:12626495, PubMed:14736886). May be required to recruit the atg8-phosphatidylinositol conjugate and the atg12-atg5 conjugate to the pre-autophagosomal structure (By similarity). Required for normal survival when exposed to pathogenic bacteria S.typhimurium by promoting autophagic degradation of intracellular S.typhimurium (PubMed:19667176). Impaired survival when exposed to pathogenic bacteria S.typhimurium associated with the accumulation of S.typhimuriumin in large vacuoles which fail to undergo autophagy. Belongs to the beclin family.