Long life depends on open communication

Abstract

The lysosome is an essential organelle that degrades extra- and intra-cellular components and acts as a signaling hub. A study in Caenorhabditis elegans now shows that the lysosome mediates inter-tissue communication from periphery to neurons to regulate lifespan via fatty acid breakdown and secretion.

Fig. 1 |. Lysosomal lipid signaling from intestine to neurons for longevity regulation.

Increasing lysosome acid lipase expression can lead to the release of free polyunsaturated fatty acids such as dihomo-gamma-linolenic acid (DGLA). An increase in DGLA promotes the secretion of the lipid binding protein LBP-3, which Savini et al. suggest can bind DGLA. LBP-3 is released from the intestine and taken up by neurons and may directly or indirectly promote nuclear localization of the nuclear receptor analogous to peroxisome proliferator activated receptor alpha (PPARα), NHR-49, which leads to up-regulation of neuropeptide-processing genes and expression of a neuropeptide, nlp-11, and in turn extends lifespan.