The role of lysosome in cell death regulation.

Lysosome is a highly membrane-bound organelle which possesses a sequence of biological functions including protein degradation, cell signal transduction, plasma membrane repairment, homoeostasis, and autophagy. The lysosome contains more than 50 soluble acid hydrolases, and the acidification of lysosome is the most important biological characteristic. The integrity of lysosome is of vital importance. During the past few years, it was reported that the destabilization of lysosomal membrane can result in the release of lysosomal contents into cytosol and trigger cell death in a caspase-dependent or caspase-independent pathway. Lysosome functions at the late stage of autophagy and degrades cellular components delivered by autophagosome, which is a complicated process. The present article will summarize the current knowledge on the role of lysosome in cell death regulation and the underlying mechanisms.