CEDOC, NOVA Medical School, NMS, Universidade NOVA de Lisboa, Lisbon, Portugal.
Telethon Institute of Genetics and Medicine (TIGEM), Pozzuoli, Italy.
Traffic. 2022 May;23(5):238-269. doi: 10.1111/tra.12839. Epub 2022 Apr 24.
Since the discovery of lysosomes more than 70 years ago, much has been learned about the functions of these organelles. Lysosomes were regarded as exclusively degradative organelles, but more recent research has shown that they play essential roles in several other cellular functions, such as nutrient sensing, intracellular signalling and metabolism. Methodological advances played a key part in generating our current knowledge about the biology of this multifaceted organelle. In this review, we cover current methods used to analyze lysosome morphology, positioning, motility and function. We highlight the principles behind these methods, the methodological strategies and their advantages and limitations. To extract accurate information and avoid misinterpretations, we discuss the best strategies to identify lysosomes and assess their characteristics and functions. With this review, we aim to stimulate an increase in the quantity and quality of research on lysosomes and further ground-breaking discoveries on an organelle that continues to surprise and excite cell biologists.
自 70 多年前溶酶体被发现以来，人们对其功能有了更多的了解。溶酶体曾被认为是专门的降解细胞器，但最近的研究表明，它们在其他几个细胞功能中发挥着重要作用，如营养感应、细胞内信号转导和代谢。方法学的进步在我们目前对这个多方面细胞器的生物学的认识中起到了关键作用。在这篇综述中，我们涵盖了用于分析溶酶体形态、定位、运动和功能的当前方法。我们强调了这些方法背后的原理、方法策略及其优缺点。为了提取准确的信息并避免误解，我们讨论了识别溶酶体并评估其特征和功能的最佳策略。通过这篇综述，我们旨在激发更多关于溶酶体的研究，并对这个不断给细胞生物学家带来惊喜和启发的细胞器进行更多突破性的发现。
