The Biogenesis of Lysosomes and Lysosome-Related Organelles (original) (raw)

  1. Yvonne Hackmann2,
  2. Nele M.G. Dieckmann2 and
  3. Gillian M. Griffiths2
  4. 1Department of Clinical Biochemistry, Cambridge Institute for Medical Research, University of Cambridge, Cambridge Biomedical Campus, Cambridge CB2 0XY, United Kingdom
  5. 2Department of Medicine, Cambridge Institute for Medical Research, University of Cambridge, Cambridge Biomedical Campus, Cambridge CB2 0XY, United Kingdom
  6. Correspondence: jpl10{at}cam.ac.uk

Abstract

Lysosomes were once considered the end point of endocytosis, simply used for macromolecule degradation. They are now recognized to be dynamic organelles, able to fuse with a variety of targets and to be re-formed after fusion events. They are also now known to be the site of nutrient sensing and signaling to the cell nucleus. In addition, lysosomes are secretory organelles, with specialized machinery for regulated secretion of proteins in some cell types. The biogenesis of lysosomes and lysosome-related organelles is discussed, taking into account their dynamic nature and multiple roles.