TRPML1: The Ca(2+)retaker of the lysosome

Efficient functioning of lysosome is necessary to ensure the correct performance of a variety of intracellular processes such as degradation of cargoes coming from the endocytic and autophagic pathways, recycling of organelles, and signaling mechanisms involved in cellular adaptation to nutrient availability. Mutations in lysosomal genes lead to more than 50 lysosomal storage disorders (LSDs). Among them, mutations in the gene encoding TRPML1 (MCOLN1) cause Mucolipidosis type IV (MLIV), a recessive LSD characterized by neurodegeneration, psychomotor retardation, ophthalmologic defects and achlorhydria. At the cellular level, MLIV patient fibroblasts show enlargement and engulfment of the late endo-lysosomal compartment, autophagy impairment, and accumulation of lipids and glycosaminoglycans. TRPML1 is the most extensively studied member of a small family of genes that also includes TRPML2 and TRPML3, and it has been found to participate in vesicular trafficking, lipid and ion homeostasis, and autophagy. In this review we will provide an update on the latest and more novel findings related to the functions of TRPMLs, with particular focus on the emerging role of TRPML1 and lysosomal calcium signaling in autophagy. Moreover, we will also discuss new potential therapeutic approaches for MLIV and LSDs based on the modulation of TRPML1-mediated signaling.