PUBLICATION
Lens autophagy protein ATG16L1: a potential target for cataract treatment
- Authors
- Cui, Y., Yu, X., Bao, J., Ping, X., Shi, S., Huang, Y., Yin, Q., Yang, H., Chen, R., Yao, K., Chen, X., Shentu, X.
- ID
- ZDB-PUB-240712-13
- Date
- 2024
- Source
- Theranostics 14: 398439963984-3996 (Journal)
- Registered Authors
- Keywords
- ATG16L1, E3 ligase, autophagy, cataract, ubiquitination
- MeSH Terms
-
- Disease Models, Animal
- Riboflavin/pharmacology
- Animals
- Ubiquitination/drug effects
- Autophagy-Related Proteins*/metabolism
- Humans
- Cataract*/drug therapy
- Cataract*/metabolism
- Zebrafish*
- Autophagy*/drug effects
- Cell Line
- Lens, Crystalline*/drug effects
- Lens, Crystalline*/metabolism
- PubMed
- 38994020 Full text @ Theranostics
Citation
Cui, Y., Yu, X., Bao, J., Ping, X., Shi, S., Huang, Y., Yin, Q., Yang, H., Chen, R., Yao, K., Chen, X., Shentu, X. (2024) Lens autophagy protein ATG16L1: a potential target for cataract treatment. Theranostics. 14:398439963984-3996.
Abstract
Rationale: Cataract is the leading cause of blindness and low vision worldwide, yet its pathological mechanism is not fully understood. Although macroautophagy/autophagy is recognized as essential for lens homeostasis and has shown potential in alleviating cataracts, its precise mechanism remains unclear. Uncovering the molecular details of autophagy in the lens could provide targeted therapeutic interventions alongside surgery. Methods: We monitored autophagic activities in the lens and identified the key autophagy protein ATG16L1 by immunofluorescence staining, Western blotting, and transmission electron microscopy. The regulatory mechanism of ATG16L1 ubiquitination was analyzed by co-immunoprecipitation and Western blotting. We used the crystal structure of E3 ligase gigaxonin and conducted the docking screening of a chemical library. The effect of the identified compound riboflavin was tested in vitro in cells and in vivo animal models. Results: We used HLE cells and connexin 50 (cx50)-deficient cataract zebrafish model and confirmed that ATG16L1 was crucial for lens autophagy. Stabilizing ATG16L1 by attenuating its ubiquitination-dependent degradation could promote autophagy activity and relieve cataract phenotype in cx50-deficient zebrafish. Mechanistically, the interaction between E3 ligase gigaxonin and ATG16L1 was weakened during this process. Leveraging these mechanisms, we identified riboflavin, an E3 ubiquitin ligase-targeting drug, which suppressed ATG16L1 ubiquitination, promoted autophagy, and ultimately alleviated the cataract phenotype in autophagy-related models. Conclusions: Our study identified an unrecognized mechanism of cataractogenesis involving ATG16L1 ubiquitination in autophagy regulation, offering new insights for treating cataracts.
Genes / Markers
Expression
Phenotype
Mutations / Transgenics
Human Disease / Model
Sequence Targeting Reagents
Fish
Orthology
Engineered Foreign Genes
Mapping