Protecting cells by protecting their vulnerable lysosomes: Identification of a new mechanism for preserving lysosomal functional integrity upon oxidative stress.

ABSTRACT: Environmental insults such as oxidative stress can damage cell membranes. Lysosomes are particularly sensitive to membrane permeabilization since their function depends on intraluminal acidic pH and requires stable membrane-dependent proton gradients. Among the catalog of oxidative stress-responsive genes is the Lipocalin Apolipoprotein D (ApoD), an extracellular lipid binding protein endowed with antioxidant capacity. Within the nervous system, cell types in the defense frontline, such as astrocytes, secrete ApoD to help neurons cope with the challenge. The protecting role of ApoD is known from cellular to organism level, and many of its downstream effects, including optimization of autophagy upon neurodegeneration, have been described. However, we still cannot assign a cellular mechanism

SUBMITTER: Pascua-Maestro R 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC5325589 | biostudies-literature | 2017 Feb

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature