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Progranulin associates with Rab2 and is involved in autophagosome-lysosome fusion in Gaucher disease

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Abstract

Progranulin (PGRN) is a key regulator of lysosomes, and its deficiency has been linked to various lysosomal storage diseases (LSDs), including Gaucher disease (GD), one of the most common LSD. Here, we report that PGRN plays a previously unrecognized role in autophagy within the context of GD. PGRN deficiency is associated with the accumulation of LC3-II and p62 in autophagosomes of GD animal model and patient fibroblasts, resulting from the impaired fusion of autophagosomes and lysosomes. PGRN physically interacted with Rab2, a critical molecule in autophagosome-lysosome fusion. Additionally, a fragment of PGRN containing the Grn E domain was required and sufficient for binding to Rab2. Furthermore, this fragment significantly ameliorated PGRN deficiency–associated impairment of autophagosome-lysosome fusion and autophagic flux. These findings not only demonstrate that PGRN is a crucial mediator of autophagosome-lysosome fusion but also provide new evidence indicating PGRN’s candidacy as a molecular target for modulating autophagy in GD and other LSDs in general.

Key messages

  • PGRN acts as a crucial factor involved in autophagosome-lysosome fusion in GD.

  • PGRN physically interacts with Rab2, a molecule in autophagosome-lysosome fusion.

  • A 15-kDa C-terminal fragment of PGRN is required and sufficient for binding to Rab2.

  • This PGRN derivative ameliorates PGRN deficiency–associated impairment of autophagy.

  • This study provides new insights into autophagy and may develop novel therapy for GD.

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Acknowledgements

We thank Drs. Yan Deng and Fengxia Liang at NYU Medical School OCS Microscopy Core for their assistance with confocal and electronic microscope images. We also thank all lab members for the insightful discussions. Patents have been filed by NYU that claim PGRN and its derivatives for the diagnosis and treatment of Gaucher disease (PCT/US2015014364).

Funding

This work was supported partly by NIH research grants R01NS103931, R01AR062207, R01AR061484, and R01AR076900.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Orthopaedic Surgery, New York University Medical Center, Rm 1608, LOH, 301 East 17th Street, New York, NY, 10003, USA

    Xiangli Zhao, Rossella Liberti, Jinlong Jian, Wenyu Fu, Aubryanna Hettinghouse & Chuan-ju Liu

  2. Division of Human Genetics, The Department of Pediatrics, Cincinnati Children’s Hospital Medical Center, University of Cincinnati College of Medicine, Cincinnati, OH, 45229, USA

    Ying Sun

  3. Department of Cell Biology, New York University Grossman School of Medicine, New York, NY, 10016, USA

    Chuan-ju Liu

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  1. Xiangli Zhao
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  2. Rossella Liberti
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  3. Jinlong Jian
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  4. Wenyu Fu
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  5. Aubryanna Hettinghouse
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Contributions

X. Zhao, J. Jian, R. Liberti, and W. Fu designed and performed experiments, collected and analyzed data, and wrote the paper. A. Hettinghouse assisted with experiments and editing the manuscript. Y. Sun contributed to the conceptualization and data interpretation. C. J. Liu supervised this study, analyzed data, and co-wrote and edited the manuscript.

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Chuan-ju Liu.

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Zhao, X., Liberti, R., Jian, J. et al. Progranulin associates with Rab2 and is involved in autophagosome-lysosome fusion in Gaucher disease. J Mol Med 99, 1639–1654 (2021). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00109-021-02127-6

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00109-021-02127-6

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