Atypical MAPK protein that regulates several process such as autophagy, ciliogenesis, protein trafficking/secretion and genome integrity, in a kinase activity-dependent manner.Controls both, basal and starvation-induced autophagy throught its interaction with GABARAP, MAP1LC3B and GABARAPL1 leading to autophagosome formation, SQSTM1 degradation and reduced MAP1LC3B inhibitory phosphorylation.