ULK1 and nutritional deficiency disease: In nutrient-rich conditions, mTORC1 phosphorylates and inhibits the ATG1/ULK1 complex, thus preventing the initiation of autophagy.52 In nutritional deficiency conditions or after the addition of rapamycin (mTORC1 inhibitor), mTORC1 dissociates from the complex, decreasing the phosphorylation level of the ATG1/ULK1 complex that becomes active53 and initiates autophagy.54 The mTORC2 complex (rapamycin insensitive) can also inhibit autophagy via activation of Akt.