Abstract
Lysosomes are cellular organelles that contain various acidic digestive enzymes. Despite their small size, they have multiple functions. Lysosomes remove or recycle unnecessary cell parts. They repair damaged cellular membranes by exocytosis. Lysosomes also sense cellular energy status and transmit signals to the nucleus. Glial cells are non-neuronal cells in the nervous system and have an active role in homeostatic support for neurons. In response to dynamic cues, glia use lysosomal pathways for the secretion and uptake of regulatory molecules, which affect the physiology of neighboring neurons. Therefore, functional aberration of glial lysosomes can trigger neuronal degeneration. Here, we review lysosomal functions in oligodendrocytes, astrocytes, and microglia, with emphasis on neurodegeneration.
Highlights
IntroductionLysosomes are membrane-bound organelles that serve as the primary site of macromolecular catabolism
We review how the lysosomes in each glial cell type regulate the homeostasis of the central nervous system (CNS) and discuss how dysfunctional glial lysosomes result in neurodegenerative diseases
In addition to their degradative role, respond to external stimuli resulting in exocytosis that is mediated by a group of SNARE proteins [35]
Summary
Lysosomes are membrane-bound organelles that serve as the primary site of macromolecular catabolism. Apart from the intake and catabolism of extracellular materials, cells require machinery to degrade damaged organelles, unused proteins, and other intracellular waste products This process of self-recycling is known as autophagy and can be divided into three major forms; macroautophagy, microautophagy, and chaperone-mediated autophagy (CMA) [8]. There is emerging evidence pointing towards glial cells being critical determinants in multiple aspects of brain development [24], and subsequently, in neuronal degeneration [25,26] Many neurodegenerative diseases such as Parkinson’s disease (PD), Alzheimer’s disease (AD), Huntington’s disease, and frontotemporal dementia present with protein aggregations that appear to overwhelm the autophagosome-lysosome pathway [27,28,29]. We review how the lysosomes in each glial cell type regulate the homeostasis of the central nervous system (CNS) and discuss how dysfunctional glial lysosomes result in neurodegenerative diseases
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