CLN8 is an endoplasmic reticulum cargo receptor that regulates lysosome biogenesis.

Organelle biogenesis requires proper transport of proteins from their site of synthesis to their target subcellular compartment1-3. Lysosomal enzymes are synthesized in the endoplasmic reticulum (ER) and traffic through the Golgi complex before being transferred to the endolysosomal system4-6, but how they are transferred from the ER to the Golgi is unknown. Here, we show that ER-to-Golgi transfer of lysosomal enzymes requires CLN8, an ER-associated membrane protein whose loss of function leads to the lysosomal storage disorder, neuronal ceroid lipofuscinosis 8 (a type of Batten disease)7. ER-to-Golgi trafficking of CLN8 requires interaction with the COPII and COPI machineries via specific export and retrieval signals localized in the cytosolic carboxy terminus of CLN8. CLN8 deficiency leads to depletion of soluble enzymes in the lysosome, thus impairing lysosome biogenesis. Binding to lysosomal enzymes requires the second luminal loop of CLN8 and is abolished by some disease-causing mutations within this region. Our data establish an unanticipated example of an ER receptor serving the biogenesis of an organelle and indicate that impaired transport of lysosomal enzymes underlies Batten disease caused by mutations in CLN8.

Autophagic response to cellular exposure to titanium dioxide nanoparticles.

Titanium dioxide is "generally regarded as safe" and titanium dioxide nanoparticles (TiO2 NPs) are used in a wide variety of consumer products. Cellular exposure to TiO2 NPs results in complex effects on cell physiology including induction of oxidative stress and impairment of lysosomal function, raising concerns about the impact of TiO2 NPs on biological systems. We investigated the effects of TiO2 NPs (15, 50, and 100 nm in diameter) on the lysosome-autophagy system, the main cellular catabolic pathway that mediates degradation of nanomaterials. Specifically, we monitored a comprehensive set of markers of the lysosome-autophagy system upon cell exposure to TiO2 NPs, ranging from transcriptional activation of genes required for the formation of autophagic vesicles to clearance of autophagic substrates. This study reveals that uptake of TiO2 NPs induces a response of the lysosome-autophagy system mediated by the transcription factor EB and consequent upregulation of the autophagic flux. Prolonged exposure to TiO2 NPs, however, was found to induce lysosomal dysfunction and membrane permeabilization, leading to a blockage in autophagic flux. Results from this study will inform the design of TiO2 NP based devices with specific autophagy-modulating properties.

TFEB-mediated activation of the lysosome-autophagy system affects the transduction efficiency of adeno-associated virus 2.

Adeno-associated virus (AAV)-mediated gene transfer is an appealing therapeutic option due to AAV's safety profile. Effective delivery of AAV's genetic cargo to the nucleus, however, requires evasion of host cell barriers, including cellular clearance mechanisms mediated by the lysosome-autophagy system. We used AAV serotype 2 to monitor the autophagic response to cellular internalization of AAV and to characterize the effect of AAV-induced activation of autophagy on transgene expression. We found AAV2 internalization to induce activation of transcription factor EB, a master regulator of autophagy and lysosomal biogenesis, and upregulation of the lysosome-autophagy system. We showed that AAV2-induced activation of autophagy parallels a reduction in transgene expression, but also an increase in autophagic clearance of protein aggregates. These results can inform the design of AAV vectors with autophagy-modulating properties for applications ranging from the design of efficient gene delivery vectors to the treatment of diseases characterized by accumulation of autophagic cargo.

The autophagic response to polystyrene nanoparticles is mediated by transcription factor EB and depends on surface charge.

BACKGROUND: A number of engineered nanoparticles induce autophagy, the main catabolic pathway that regulates bulk degradation of cytoplasmic material by the lysosomes. Depending on the specific physico-chemical properties of the nanomaterial, however, nanoparticle-induced autophagy may have different effects on cell physiology, ranging from enhanced autophagic degradation to blockage of autophagic flux. To investigate the molecular mechanisms underlying the impact of nanoparticle charge on the nature of the autophagic response, we tested polystyrene nanoparticles (50 nm) with neutral, anionic, and cationic surface charges. RESULTS: We found all polystyrene nanoparticles investigated in this study to activate autophagy. We showed that internalization of polystyrene nanoparticles results in activation of the transcription factor EB, a master regulator of autophagy and lysosome biogenesis. Autophagic clearance, however, was observed to depend specifically on the charge of the nanoparticles. Particularly, we found that the autophagic response to polystyrene nanoparticles presenting a neutral or anionic surface involves enhanced clearance of autophagic cargo. Cell exposure to polystyrene nanoparticles presenting a cationic surface, on the other hand, results in transcriptional upregulation of the pathway, but also causes lysosomal dysfunction, ultimately resulting in blockage of autophagic flux. CONCLUSIONS: This study furthers our understanding of the molecular mechanisms that regulate the autophagic response to nanoparticles, thus contributing essential design criteria for engineering benign nanomaterials.

Differential autophagic responses to nano-sized materials.

Autophagy is a complex catabolic pathway that mediates degradation of excess or unwanted cytoplasmic components through the lysosome. Activated by environmental factors, such as nutrient depletion, and intracellular stimuli, such as proteotoxic stress, it provides a highly dynamic quality control mechanism to recycle cellular components, eliminate aberrant materials, and, ultimately, maintain cellular homeostasis. A growing body of evidence suggests that autophagy is also activated upon internalization of engineered nanomaterials, most likely as a protective response to what is perceived as foreign or toxic. This review describes the mechanisms of autophagy activation in response to naturally occurring and engineered nanomaterials. We provide a comprehensive analysis of the impact of nanomaterials on the lysosome-autophagy system, with particular emphasis on cellular markers associated with biocompatible and bioadverse outcomes of autophagy activation, such as clearance of toxic material and autophagy-associated cell death. Potential applications of the next-generation nanomaterials designed to interface with cellular clearance mechanisms with precisely tunable properties are also discussed.

Ceria nanoparticles stabilized by organic surface coatings activate the lysosome-autophagy system and enhance autophagic clearance.

Cerium oxide nanoparticles (nanoceria) are widely used in a variety of industrial applications including UV filters and catalysts. The expanding commercial scale production and use of ceria nanoparticles have inevitably increased the risk of release of nanoceria into the environment as well as the risk of human exposure. The use of nanoceria in biomedical applications is also being currently investigated because of its recently characterized antioxidative properties. In this study, we investigated the impact of ceria nanoparticles on the lysosome-autophagy system, the main catabolic pathway that is activated in mammalian cells upon internalization of exogenous material. We tested a battery of ceria nanoparticles functionalized with different types of biocompatible coatings (N-acetylglucosamine, polyethylene glycol and polyvinylpyrrolidone) expected to have minimal effect on lysosomal integrity and function. We found that ceria nanoparticles promote activation of the transcription factor EB, a master regulator of lysosomal function and autophagy, and induce upregulation of genes of the lysosome-autophagy system. We further show that the array of differently functionalized ceria nanoparticles tested in this study enhance autophagic clearance of proteolipid aggregates that accumulate as a result of inefficient function of the lysosome-autophagy system. This study provides a mechanistic understanding of the interaction of ceria nanoparticles with the lysosome-autophagy system and demonstrates that ceria nanoparticles are activators of autophagy and promote clearance of autophagic cargo. These results provide insights for the use of nanoceria in biomedical applications, including drug delivery. These findings will also inform the design of engineered nanoparticles with safe and precisely controlled impact on the environment and the design of nanotherapeutics for the treatment of diseases with defective autophagic function and accumulation of lysosomal storage material.

Shear thickening of corn starch suspensions: does concentration matter?

Suspensions of corn starch and water are the most common example of a shear thickening system. Investigations into the non-Newtonian flow behavior of corn starch slurries have ranged from simplistic elementary school demonstrations to in-depth rheological examinations that use corn starch to further elucidate the mechanisms that drive shear thickening. Here, we determine how much corn starch is required for the average person to ''walk on water'' (or in this case, run across a pool filled with corn starch and water). Steady shear rate rheological measurements were employed to monitor the thickening of corn starch slurries at concentrations ranging from 0 to 55 wt.% (0-44 vol.%). The steady state shear rate ramp experiments revealed a transition from continuous to discontinuous thickening behavior that exists at 52.5 wt.%. The rheological data was then compared to macro-scopic (~5 gallon) pool experiments, in which thickening behavior was tested by dropping a 2.1 kg rock onto the suspension surface. Impact-induced thickening in the ''rock drop'' study was not observed until the corn starch concentration reached at least 50 wt.%. At 52.5 wt.%, the corn starch slurry displayed true solid-like behavior and the falling rock ''bounced'' as it impacted the surface. The corn starch pool studies were fortified by steady state stress ramps which were extrapolated out to a critical stress value of 67,000 Pa (i.e., the force generated by an 80 kg adult while running). Only the suspensions containing at least 52.5 wt.% (42 vol.%) thickened to high enough viscosities (50-250 Pa s) that could reasonably be believed to support the impact of a man's foot while running. Therefore, we conclude that at least 52.5 wt.% corn starch is required to induce strong enough thickening behavior to safely allow the average person to ''walk on water''.