bims-lycede Biomed News
on Lysosome-dependent cell death
Issue of 2024–11–17
two papers selected by
Sofía Peralta, Universidad Nacional de Cuyo



  1. Trends Cell Biol. 2024 Nov 14. pii: S0962-8924(24)00227-7. [Epub ahead of print]
      The cGAS-STING pathway senses the level of double-stranded (ds)DNA in the cytosol, and is required for innate immunity through its effector, TBK1. A recent study by Lv et al. reports that STING activation also simultaneously promotes lysosomal biogenesis by inducing nuclear translocation of the transcription factors TFEB/TFE3 independent of TBK1.
    Keywords:  STING; TFEB; cGAS; lysosome
    DOI:  https://doi.org/10.1016/j.tcb.2024.10.011
  2. EMBO J. 2024 Nov 12.
      Lysosomal damage induces stress granule (SG) formation. However, the importance of SGs in determining cell fate and the precise mechanisms that mediate SG formation in response to lysosomal damage remain unclear. Here, we describe a novel calcium-dependent pathway controlling SG formation, which promotes cell survival during lysosomal damage. Mechanistically, the calcium-activated protein ALIX transduces lysosomal damage signals to SG formation by controlling eIF2α phosphorylation after sensing calcium leakage. ALIX enhances eIF2α phosphorylation by promoting the association between PKR and its activator PACT, with galectin-3 inhibiting this interaction; these regulatory events occur on damaged lysosomes. We further find that SG formation plays a crucial role in promoting cell survival upon lysosomal damage caused by factors such as SARS-CoV-2ORF3a, adenovirus, malarial pigment, proteopathic tau, or environmental hazards. Collectively, these data provide insights into the mechanism of SG formation upon lysosomal damage and implicate it in diseases associated with damaged lysosomes and SGs.
    Keywords:  ALG2-ALIX; Calcium-dependent Pathway; Lysosomal Damage; PACT-PKR-eIF2α; Stress Granules
    DOI:  https://doi.org/10.1038/s44318-024-00292-1