TRPM2‐dependent autophagy inhibition exacerbates oxidative stress‐induced CXCL16 secretion by keratinocytes in vitiligo

Abstract Vitiligo is a depigmented skin disease due to the destruction of melanocytes. Under oxidative stress, keratinocyte‐derived chemokine C‐X‐C motif ligand 16 (CXCL16) plays a critical role in recruiting CD8 + T cells, which kill melanocytes. Autophagy serves as a protective cell survival mechanism and impairment of autophagy has been linked to increased secretion of the proinflammatory cytokines. However, the role of autophagy in the secretion of CXCL16 under oxidative stress has not been investigated. Herein, we initially found that autophagy was suppressed in both keratinocytes of vitiligo lesions and keratinocytes exposed to oxidative stress in vitro . Autophagy inhibition also promoted CXCL16 secretion. Furthermore, upregulated transient receptor potential cation channel subfamily M member 2 (TRPM2) functioned as an upstream oxidative stress sensor to inhibit autophagy. Moreover, TRPM2‐mediated Ca 2+ influx activated calpain to shear autophagy related 5 (Atg5) and Atg12–Atg5 conjugate formation was blocked to inhibit autophagy under oxidative stress. More importantly, Atg5 downregulation enhanced the binding of interferon regulatory factor 3 (IRF3) to the CXCL16 promoter region by activating Tank‐binding kinase 1 (TBK1), thus promoting CXCL16 secretion. These findings suggested that TRPM2‐restrained autophagy promotes CXCL16 secretion via the Atg5‐TBK1‐IRF3 signaling pathway under oxidative stress. Inhibition of TRPM2 may serve as a potential target for the treatment of vitiligo. © 2024 The Pathological Society of Great Britain and Ireland.