Plays an important role in chaperone-mediated autophagy, a process that mediates lysosomal degradation of proteins in response to various stresses and as part of the normal turnover of proteins with a long biological half-live. Functions by binding target proteins, such as GAPDH and MLLT11, and targeting them for lysosomal degradation. Required for the fusion of autophagosomes with lysosomes during autophagy. Cells that lack LAMP2 express normal levels of VAMP8, but fail to accumulate STX17 on autophagosomes, which is the most likely explanation for the lack of fusion between autophagosomes and lysosomes. Required for normal degradation of the contents of autophagosomes. Plays a role in lysosomal protein degradation in response to starvation. Required for efficient MHCII-mediated presentation of exogenous antigens via its function in lysosomal protein degradation; antigenic peptides generated by proteases in the endosomal/lysosomal compartment are captured by nascent MHCII subunits. Is not required for efficient MHCII-mediated presentation of endogenous antigens.
