Required for normal plant development (PubMed:17339883, PubMed:17932459, PubMed:18227644). Required for pollen germination (PubMed:17339883, PubMed:17259285, PubMed:18227644). Required for autophagic activity. Required to limit the pathogen-associated cell death response (PubMed:17932459). May be involved in vacuolar protein sorting (PubMed:17259285). Binds to microtubules. May facilitate efficient recruitment of other ATG proteins to assemble scaffolds for autophagosome biogenesis (PubMed:26566764). Component of a phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase (PI3K) complex composed of ATG6, SH3P2 and FREE1 (PubMed:25624505). Interacts with SINAT1, SINAT2, SINAT5, SINAT6, TRAF1A and TRAF1B (PubMed:28351989). Interacts with TUBB8/TUB8 (PubMed:26566764). Colocalizes with ATG8I in punctuate structures (PubMed:17259285). Localizes in punctuate structures and colocalizes with microtubules (PubMed:26566764). Highly expressed in mature pollen grains (PubMed:17339883). Expressed in roots, leaves, stems, flowers and siliques (PubMed:17259285, PubMed:18227644). Induced by infection with the bacterial pathogen Pseudomonas syringae pv tomato strain DC3000 (PubMed:17932459). Induced by infection with the fungal necrotrophic pathogen Botrytis cinerea (PubMed:21395886). Ubiquitinated (PubMed:28351989). The interaction with SINAT1 or SINAT2, and the presence of TRAF1A/MUSE14 and TRAF1B/MUSE13, mediates its proteasome-dependent degradation (PubMed:28351989). Male sterility due to pollen germination defect. Can be used to induced male sterility when expressed in anther tapetum. Development of male sterile lines is important for commercial hybrid seed production. Plants silencing ATG6 exhibit impaired autophagic activity and accelerated senescence. Belongs to the beclin family.