Role of lipids in the control of autophagy and primary cilium signaling in neurons

Abstract

The brain is, after the adipose tissue, the organ with the greatest amount of lipids and diversity in their composition in the human body. In neurons, lipids are involved in signaling pathways controlling autophagy, a lysosome-dependent catabolic process essential for the maintenance of neuronal homeostasis and the function of the primary cilium, a cellular antenna that acts as a communication hub that transfers extracellular signals into intracellular responses required for neurogenesis and brain development. A crosstalk between primary cilia and autophagy has been established; however, its role in the control of neuronal activity and homeostasis is barely known. In this review, we briefly discuss the current knowledge regarding the role of autophagy and the primary cilium in neurons. Then we review the recent literature about specific lipid subclasses in the regulation of autophagy, in the control of primary cilium structure and its dependent cellular signaling in physiological and pathological conditions, specifically focusing on neurons, an area of research that could have major implications in neurodevelopment, energy homeostasis, and neurodegeneration.

TheArabidopsis thalianaTRAPPIII subunit AtTRAPPC8/AtTRS85 is involved in ER functioning and autophagy

“…A further interesting question is whether the elevated levels of dolichols observed in trappc8 cells might directly underlie or otherwise be linked to their autophagy impairment. Lipids have been suggested to act as modulators of autophagy with different outcomes depending on the lipid subclass, the autophagic process involved, and the cell type and age (Fan et al, 2019; Hernández-Cáceres et al, 2024), and the specific mechanisms of this modulation remain elusive.…”

“…Lipids have been suggested to act as modulators of autophagy with different outcomes depending on the lipid subclass, the autophagic process involved, and the cell type and age (Fan et al, 2019;Hernández-Cáceres et al, 2024), and the specific mechanisms of this modulation remain elusive.…”