HKDC1 and TFEB in Maintenance of Mitophagy and Lysosomal Function

Researchers here report that HKDC1 is important in the autophagic processes that remove worn and damaged mitochondria, sending them to be recycled in the lysosome. Mitochondrial function declines with age, and this is thought to result in large part due to this decline in mitophagy, the name given to mitochondria-specific autophagy. Finding novel targets for therapies that might enhance mitophagy is a popular topic, despite the comparatively poor results obtained to date. Few of the existing approaches are better than exercise. Much more is needed if the objective is to significantly slow aging. Mitochondria power the cell and lysosomes keep the cell tidy. Although damage to these two organelles has been linked to aging, cellular senescence, and many diseases, the regulation and maintenance of these organelles has remained poorly understood. There was evidence that a protein called TFEB is involved in maintaining the function of both organelles, but no targets of this protein were known. By comparing all the genes of the cell that are active under particular conditions, and by using a method called chromatin immunoprecipitation, which can identify the DNA targets of proteins, researchers have shown that the gene encoding HKDC1 is a direct target of TFEB, and that HKDC1 becomes upregulated under conditions of mitochondrial or lysosomal stress. One way that mitochondria are protected from damage is through the process of "mitophagy", the controlled removal of da...
Source: Fight Aging! - Category: Research Authors: Tags: Daily News Source Type: blogs