A nutrient sensor in the cell’s stomach | INSB (cnrs.fr)

To stay in good health, cells that no longer divide such as neurons renew their components by degrading them and recycling their building blocks in acidic compartments called lysosomes. These “micro-stomachs” also work as sensors and integrators of internal and external cues to coordinate cell responses. A study by Team 4 published in PNAS shows how the recycling and sensor functions work together within a single protein in the lysosome membrane.

Arginine-selective modulation of the lysosomal transporter PQLC2 through a gate-tuning mechanism.
Xavier Leray, Rossella Conti, Yan Li, Cécile Debacker, Florence Castelli, François Fenaille, Anselm A. Zdebik, Michael Pusch & Bruno Gasnier
PNAS 10 aout 2021 . https://doi.org/10.1073/pnas.2025315118