ATG9A protects the plasma membrane from programmed and incidental permeabilization.

The integral membrane protein ATG9A plays a key role in autophagy. It displays a broad intracellular distribution and is present in numerous compartments, including the plasma membrane (PM). The reasons for the distribution of ATG9A to the PM and its role at the PM are not understood. Here, we show that ATG9A organizes, in concert with IQGAP1, components of the ESCRT system and uncover cooperation between ATG9A, IQGAP1 and ESCRTs in protection from PM damage. ESCRTs and ATG9A phenocopied each other in protection against PM injury. ATG9A knockouts sensitized the PM to permeabilization by a broad spectrum of microbial and endogenous agents, including gasdermin, MLKL and the MLKL-like action of coronavirus ORF3a. Thus, ATG9A engages IQGAP1 and the ESCRT system to maintain PM integrity.

Retinyl esters form lipid droplets independently of triacylglycerol and seipin.

Lipid droplets store neutral lipids, primarily triacylglycerol and steryl esters. Seipin plays a role in lipid droplet biogenesis and is thought to determine the site of lipid droplet biogenesis and the size of newly formed lipid droplets. Here we show a seipin-independent pathway of lipid droplet biogenesis. In silico and in vitro experiments reveal that retinyl esters have the intrinsic propensity to sequester and nucleate in lipid bilayers. Production of retinyl esters in mammalian and yeast cells that do not normally produce retinyl esters causes the formation of lipid droplets, even in a yeast strain that produces only retinyl esters and no other neutral lipids. Seipin does not determine the size or biogenesis site of lipid droplets composed of only retinyl esters or steryl esters. These findings indicate that the role of seipin in lipid droplet biogenesis depends on the type of neutral lipid stored in forming droplets.

Systematic mapping of contact sites reveals tethers and a function for the peroxisome-mitochondria contact.

The understanding that organelles are not floating in the cytosol, but rather held in an organized yet dynamic interplay through membrane contact sites, is altering the way we grasp cell biological phenomena. However, we still have not identified the entire repertoire of contact sites, their tethering molecules and functions. To systematically characterize contact sites and their tethering molecules here we employ a proximity detection method based on split fluorophores and discover four potential new yeast contact sites. We then focus on a little-studied yet highly disease-relevant contact, the Peroxisome-Mitochondria (PerMit) proximity, and uncover and characterize two tether proteins: Fzo1 and Pex34. We genetically expand the PerMit contact site and demonstrate a physiological function in ß-oxidation of fatty acids. Our work showcases how systematic analysis of contact site machinery and functions can deepen our understanding of these structures in health and disease.

SorLA regulates the activity of lipoprotein lipase by intracellular trafficking.

Many different tissues and cell types exhibit regulated secretion of lipoprotein lipase (LPL). However, the sorting of LPL in the trans Golgi network has not, hitherto, been understood in detail. Here, we characterize the role of SorLA (officially known as SorLA-1 or sortilin-related receptor) in the intracellular trafficking of LPL. We found that LPL bound to SorLA under neutral and acidic conditions, and in cells this binding mainly occurred in vesicular structures. SorLA expression changed the subcellular distribution of LPL so it became more concentrated in endosomes. From the endosomes, LPL was further routed to the lysosomes, which resulted in a degradation of newly synthesized LPL. Consequently, an 80% reduction of LPL activity was observed in cells that expressed SorLA. By analogy, SorLA regulated the vesicle-like localization of LPL in primary neuronal cells. Thus, LPL binds to SorLA in the biosynthetic pathway and is subsequently transported to endosomes. As a result of this SorLA mediated-transport, newly synthesized LPL can be routed into specialized vesicles and eventually sent to degradation, and its activity thereby regulated.