Lysosomal storage diseases (LSDs) are caused by inability of cells to process the material captured during endocytosis. While they are essentially diseases of cellular "indigestion", LSDs affect large number of cellular activities and, as such, they teach us about the integrative function of the cell, as well as about the gaps in our knowledge of the endocytic pathway and membrane transport. The present review summarizes recent findings on Ca 2+ handling in LSDs and attempts to identify the key questions on alterations inCa 2+ signaling and membrane transport in this group of diseases, answers to which may lie in delineating the cellular pathogeneses of LSDs.
Lysosomal storage diseases as a model for the integrative function of the cellLysosomal storage diseases (LSDs) area diverse set of conditions that impair the uptake, sorting, or digestion of the material captured by cells during endocytosis or claimed by autophagy [1,2]. Degradation of endocytosed extracellular matter and plasma membrane components is a complex process that involves selective membrane fusion, protein and lipid sorting and degradation, and absorption of the products of digestion [3,4]. LSDs occur due to mutations in genes that code for components of the cellular endocytic machinery, or they can be caused by environmental influences such as toxic metals or drugs [5][6][7]. LSDs caused by gene mutations result in improperly delivered, structurally dysfunctional, or acutely inhibited lysosomal digestive enzymes; in some cases LSDs-causing mutations affect absorption of the products of digestion. Additionally, recently accumulated data suggests impaired membrane flow in the endocytic pathway, whether directly or indirectly induced by the genetic mutations, as a contributing factor in LSDs pathogenesis [8].Although they are rarely discussed in the context of LSDs, chemically-induced dysregulated lysosomal function due to acute poisoning or chronic buildup of inhibitors (such as in irondependent lipofuscin buildup in aging cells [9,10], and, perhaps, in Mucolipidosis type IV [11]), share elements of causality as well as cellular and clinical manifestations with the "genetically-induced" LSDs.The inability of cells affected by LSDs to properly handle endocytosed material results in buildup of storage bodies, which are malformed endocytic organelles filled with undigested or © 2009 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.Address correspondence to: Kirill Kiselyov, Department of Biological Sciences, University of Pittsburgh, 519 Langley Hall, 4249 Fifth Ave, Pittsburgh, PA, 15260, USA. Kiselyov@pitt.edu. Publisher's Disclaimer: This is a PDF file of an unedited manuscript that has been accepted for publication. As a service to our customers we are providing this early version of the manuscript. The manuscript will undergo copyediting, typesetting, and review of the resulting proof before it is published in its final citable form. Please note that during the production process errors may be discovered which could affect the content, and all legal d...