PEX14 acts as a molecular link between optineurin and the autophagic machinery to induce pexophagy

Pexophagy, the selective degradation of peroxisomes, is essential for removing excess or dysfunctional peroxisomes, and its dysregulation has been linked to various diseases. Although optineurin (OPTN), an autophagy receptor involved in mitophagy, aggrephagy, and xenophagy, has also been implicated in pexophagy in HEK-293 cells, the underlying mechanisms remain unclear. Using proximity labeling, we identified PEX14, a peroxisomal membrane protein, as a neighboring partner of OPTN. Microscopy analyses revealed that clustering of peroxisomes with OPTN is a key feature of OPTN-mediated pexophagy. Biochemical studies demonstrated that PEX14 and OPTN interact through their coiled-coil and ubiquitin-binding domains, respectively. Further analyses showed that the C-terminal half of overexpressed OPTN triggers pexophagy, likely by oligomerizing with endogenous OPTN. The colocalization of PEX14–OPTN complexes with LC3, together with the suppression of OPTN-mediated peroxisome degradation by bafilomycin A1, supports a model in which PEX14 acts as a docking site for OPTN on the peroxisomal membrane, enabling the recruitment of the autophagic machinery for OPTN-mediated pexophagy.