bims-lycede 2024-07-14 papers

Issue of 2024‒07‒14
four papers selected by
Sofía Peralta, Universidad Nacional de Cuyo

Nat Cell Biol. 2024 Jul 12.

Pressure sensing of lysosomes enables control of TFEB responses in macrophages.

Ruiqi Cai, Ori Scott, Gang Ye, Trieu Le, Ekambir Saran, Whijin Kwon, Subothan Inpanathan, Blayne A Sayed, Roberto J Botelho, Amra Saric, Stefan Uderhardt, Spencer A Freeman.

Polymers are endocytosed and hydrolysed by lysosomal enzymes to generate transportable solutes. While the transport of diverse organic solutes across the plasma membrane is well studied, their necessary ongoing efflux from the endocytic fluid into the cytosol is poorly appreciated by comparison. Myeloid cells that employ specialized types of endocytosis, that is, phagocytosis and macropinocytosis, are highly dependent on such transport pathways to prevent the build-up of hydrostatic pressure that otherwise offsets lysosomal dynamics including vesiculation, tubulation and fission. Without undergoing rupture, we found that lysosomes incurring this pressure owing to defects in solute efflux, are unable to retain luminal Na+, which collapses its gradient with the cytosol. This cation 'leak' is mediated by pressure-sensitive channels resident to lysosomes and leads to the inhibition of mTORC1, which is normally activated by Na+-coupled amino acid transporters driven by the Na+ gradient. As a consequence, the transcription factors TFEB/TFE3 are made active in macrophages with distended lysosomes. In addition to their role in lysosomal biogenesis, TFEB/TFE3 activation causes the release of MCP-1/CCL2. In catabolically stressed tissues, defects in efflux of solutes from the endocytic pathway leads to increased monocyte recruitment. Here we propose that macrophages respond to a pressure-sensing pathway on lysosomes to orchestrate lysosomal biogenesis as well as myeloid cell recruitment.

DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/s41556-024-01459-y

Comput Struct Biotechnol J. 2024 Dec;23 2516-2533

Acidic sphingomyelinase interactions with lysosomal membranes and cation amphiphilic drugs: A molecular dynamics investigation.

Simone Scrima, Matteo Lambrughi, Lorenzo Favaro, Kenji Maeda, Marja Jäättelä, Elena Papaleo.

Lysosomes are pivotal in cellular functions and disease, influencing cancer progression and therapy resistance with Acid Sphingomyelinase (ASM) governing their membrane integrity. Moreover, cation amphiphilic drugs (CADs) are known as ASM inhibitors and have anti-cancer activity, but the structural mechanisms of their interactions with the lysosomal membrane and ASM are poorly explored. Our study, leveraging all-atom explicit solvent molecular dynamics simulations, delves into the interaction of glycosylated ASM with the lysosomal membrane and the effects of CAD representatives, i.e., ebastine, hydroxyebastine and loratadine, on the membrane and ASM. Our results confirm the ASM association to the membrane through the saposin domain, previously only shown with coarse-grained models. Furthermore, we elucidated the role of specific residues and ASM-induced membrane curvature in lipid recruitment and orientation. CADs also interfere with the association of ASM with the membrane at the level of a loop in the catalytic domain engaging in membrane interactions. Our computational approach, applicable to various CADs or membrane compositions, provides insights into ASM and CAD interaction with the membrane, offering a valuable tool for future studies.

Keywords: Acid sphingomyelinase; Cation amphiphilic drugs; Ebastine; Loratadine; Lysosomal membrane; Molecular dynamics simulations

DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.csbj.2024.05.049

Int J Mol Sci. 2024 Jun 28. pii: 7123. [Epub ahead of print]25(13):

Integrative Bioinformatics Analysis Reveals a Transcription Factor EB-Driven MicroRNA Regulatory Network in Endothelial Cells.

Teresa Gravina, Francesco Favero, Stefania Rosano, Sushant Parab, Alejandra Diaz Alcalde, Federico Bussolino, Gabriella Doronzo, Davide Corà.

Various human diseases are triggered by molecular alterations influencing the fine-tuned expression and activity of transcription factors, usually due to imbalances in targets including protein-coding genes and non-coding RNAs, such as microRNAs (miRNAs). The transcription factor EB (TFEB) modulates human cellular networks, overseeing lysosomal biogenesis and function, plasma-membrane trafficking, autophagic flux, and cell cycle progression. In endothelial cells (ECs), TFEB is essential for the maintenance of endothelial integrity and function, ensuring vascular health. However, the comprehensive regulatory network orchestrated by TFEB remains poorly understood. Here, we provide novel mechanistic insights into how TFEB regulates the transcriptional landscape in primary human umbilical vein ECs (HUVECs), using an integrated approach combining high-throughput experimental data with dedicated bioinformatics analysis. By analyzing HUVECs ectopically expressing TFEB using ChIP-seq and examining both polyadenylated mRNA and small RNA sequencing data from TFEB-silenced HUVECs, we have developed a bioinformatics pipeline mapping the different gene regulatory interactions driven by TFEB. We show that TFEB directly regulates multiple miRNAs, which in turn post-transcriptionally modulate a broad network of target genes, significantly expanding the repertoire of gene programs influenced by this transcription factor. These insights may have significant implications for vascular biology and the development of novel therapeutics for vascular disease.

Keywords: TFEB; microRNAs; transcription factor networks

DOI: https://doi.org/10.3390/ijms25137123

Int J Mol Sci. 2024 Jul 07. pii: 7459. [Epub ahead of print]25(13):

Blockage of Autophagy for Cancer Therapy: A Comprehensive Review.

Ahmed Mostafa Ibrahim Abdelrahman Hassan, Yuxin Zhao, Xiuping Chen, Chengwei He.

The incidence and mortality of cancer are increasing, making it a leading cause of death worldwide. Conventional treatments such as surgery, radiotherapy, and chemotherapy face significant limitations due to therapeutic resistance. Autophagy, a cellular self-degradation mechanism, plays a crucial role in cancer development, drug resistance, and treatment. This review investigates the potential of autophagy inhibition as a therapeutic strategy for cancer. A systematic search was conducted on Embase, PubMed, and Google Scholar databases from 1967 to 2024 to identify studies on autophagy inhibitors and their mechanisms in cancer therapy. The review includes original articles utilizing in vitro and in vivo experimental methods, literature reviews, and clinical trials. Key terms used were "Autophagy", "Inhibitors", "Molecular mechanism", "Cancer therapy", and "Clinical trials". Autophagy inhibitors such as chloroquine (CQ) and hydroxychloroquine (HCQ) have shown promise in preclinical studies by inhibiting lysosomal acidification and preventing autophagosome degradation. Other inhibitors like wortmannin and SAR405 target specific components of the autophagy pathway. Combining these inhibitors with chemotherapy has demonstrated enhanced efficacy, making cancer cells more susceptible to cytotoxic agents. Clinical trials involving CQ and HCQ have shown encouraging results, although further investigation is needed to optimize their use in cancer therapy. Autophagy exhibits a dual role in cancer, functioning as both a survival mechanism and a cell death pathway. Targeting autophagy presents a viable strategy for cancer therapy, particularly when integrated with existing treatments. However, the complexity of autophagy regulation and the potential side effects necessitate further research to develop precise and context-specific therapeutic approaches.

Keywords: autophagy inhibitors; cancer therapy; clinical trials

DOI: https://doi.org/10.3390/ijms25137459