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Abstract
This Podcast features an interview with Shawn Ferguson, senior author of a Research Article published in the 12 June 2012 issue of Science Signaling. Lysosomes are organelles in which cellular waste, damaged organelles, and internalized materials are degraded so that their chemical constituents can be recycled. Maintaining optimal lysosomal function is important for cell physiology, metabolism, and development. Ferguson’s group investigated the mechanism by which lysosomal status controls the activity of TFEB, a transcription factor that promotes the expression of genes that encode lysosomal proteins. Under normal conditions, TFEB was retained in the cytoplasm because it was phosphorylated by the lysosomally-localized kinase mTOR (mechanistic target of rapamycin). Lysosomal stress inhibited the interaction between TFEB and mTOR, leading to dephosphorylation and nuclear translocation of TFEB. Thus, mTOR-mediated regulation of TFEB activity maintains lysosomal homeostasis.
