In sporadic ALS astrocytes in the present study, the phosphorylation of Beclin-1 at the serine 15 residue and the ULK1 levels were reduced, which could have induced the inactivation of the mTOR/ULK1/Beclin-1/p62/LC3B autophagy pathway. This evidence concerns the gene MAP1LC3B and amyotrophic lateral sclerosis.