SQSTM1 and age-related macular degeneration: Autophagic flux was reduced in AMD RPE as compared with normal RPE, as shown by inability of AMD RPE to downregulate the ubiquitin-binding protein p62 levels during starvation; p62 also known as sequestosome-1 and encoded by the SQSTM1 gene is an autophagosome cargo protein that targets other proteins that bind to it for selective autophagy, see below).