TFEB and the CLEAR network.

Abstract

The general view of the lysosome as the terminal end of cellular catabolic pathways, has started to change due to the recent discoveries of a lysosomal nutrient sensing machinery and of a lysosome-to-nucleus signaling mechanism that modulate lysosomal function by way of the master transcriptional regulator TFEB. Lysosomal biogenesis and autophagy are coordinated by TFEB, whose function is regulated by phosphorylation. TFEB interacts with and is phosphorylated by mTORC1 at the lysosomal surface. Thus, conditions resulting in inhibition of mTOR, such as starvation and lysosomal stress, promote TFEB nuclear translocation. Preliminary evidences showing that the TFEB activation are able to ameliorate the phenotype of lysosomal storage disorders and more common neurodegenerative diseases have opened an extraordinary possibility for the development of innovative therapies. Research in TFEB and lysosomal function has continued to advance and attract interest due to increased understanding of the mechanisms behind lysosomal function. In this paper, we present a set of procedures that facilitate examination of TFEB function and its related processes.