Better Together

Like any well-functioning society, cells have their own recycling centres, known as lysosomes. These little compartments are packed with harsh chemicals that break down unwanted large molecules into smaller components that can then be transported elsewhere in the cell and turned back into useful new materials. However, little is known about the components of lysosomes themselves, or how molecules are transported in and out of them. Researchers have now genetically engineered mice that lack a protein known to be important for lysosome transportation, called MFSD1 (stained green in this image of a mouse cell). These animals develop liver damage and cancer later in life, highlighting the importance of functioning lysosomes for health. MFSD1 is found specifically in lysosomes (stained red) and works together with another molecule called GLMP. By figuring out how these two proteins buddy up, researchers hope to understand more about liver disease and even discover new treatments.

Written by Kat Arney

Kat Arney

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Dr Kat Arney is an award-winning science writer, broadcaster and public speaker, and is the founder and Creative Director of First Create The Media.

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• Image from work by David Massa López and colleagues
• Institute of Biochemistry, Christian-Albrechts-University Kiel, Kiel, Germany
• Image originally published under a Creative Commons Licence (BY 4.0)
• Published in eLife, October 2019