Plekhg5 controls the unconventional secretion of Sod1 by presynaptic secretory autophagy

Research output: Contribution to journalResearch articleContributedpeer-review

Contributors

  • Amy Jayne Hutchings - , University of Würzburg (Author)
  • Bita Hambrecht - , University of Würzburg (Author)
  • Alexander Veh - , University of Würzburg (Author)
  • Neha Jadhav Giridhar - , University of Würzburg (Author)
  • Abdolhossein Zare - , University of Würzburg (Author)
  • Christina Angerer - , University of Würzburg (Author)
  • Thorben Ohnesorge - , University of Würzburg (Author)
  • Maren Schenke - , University of Veterinary Medicine Hannover, Johns Hopkins University (Author)
  • Bhuvaneish T. Selvaraj - , University of Edinburgh (Author)
  • Siddharthan Chandran - , University of Edinburgh (Author)
  • Jared Sterneckert - , University Medicine (Faculty of Medicine and University Hospital), Chair of iPS Cells and Neurodegenerative Diseases (Author)
  • Susanne Petri - , Hannover Medical School (MHH) (Author)
  • Bettina Seeger - , University of Veterinary Medicine Hannover (Author)
  • Michael Briese - , University of Würzburg (Author)
  • Christian Stigloher - , University of Würzburg (Author)
  • Thorsten Bischler - , University of Würzburg (Author)
  • Andreas Hermann - , University of Rostock, German Center for Neurodegenerative Diseases (DZNE) (Author)
  • Markus Damme - , Kiel University (Author)
  • Michael Sendtner - , University of Würzburg (Author)
  • Patrick Lüningschrör - , University of Würzburg (Author)

Abstract

Increasing evidence suggests an essential function for autophagy in unconventional protein secretion (UPS). However, despite its relevance for the secretion of aggregate-prone proteins, the mechanisms of secretory autophagy in neurons have remained elusive. Here we show that the lower motoneuron disease-associated guanine exchange factor Plekhg5 drives the UPS of Sod1. Mechanistically, Sod1 is sequestered into autophagosomal carriers, which subsequently fuse with secretory lysosomal-related organelles (LROs). Exocytosis of LROs to release Sod1 into the extracellular milieu requires the activation of the small GTPase Rab26 by Plekhg5. Deletion of Plekhg5 in mice leads to the accumulation of Sod1 in LROs at swollen presynaptic sites. A reduced secretion of toxic ALS-linked SOD1G93A following deletion of Plekhg5 in SOD1G93A mice accelerated disease onset while prolonging survival due to an attenuated microglia activation. Using human iPSC-derived motoneurons we show that reduced levels of PLEKHG5 cause an impaired secretion of ALS-linked SOD1. Our findings highlight an unexpected pathophysiological mechanism that converges two motoneuron disease-associated proteins into a common pathway.

Details

Original languageEnglish
Article number8622
JournalNature communications
Volume15
Issue number1
Early online date4 Oct 2024
Publication statusPublished - Dec 2024
Peer-reviewedYes

External IDs

PubMed PMC11452647
Scopus 85205800623
PubMed 39366938