Work

Activation of TPC2 amplifies lysosome-mitochondria calcium transfer to regulate energetic stress responses

Year: 2026

Type: preprint

Abstract: Mitochondrial Ca 2+ uptake governs metabolism and cell fate, yet how signals from other organelles shape this remains incompletely defined. Although lysosomes are relatively small Ca 2+ stores, their strategic positioning at organelle contact sites suggests they may amplify Ca 2+ transfer within nanodomains. Here, we show that activation of the lysosomal Two-pore channel 2 (TPC2) initiates rapid mitochondrial Ca 2+ uptake through an endoplasmic reticulum-dependent relay requiring IP₃ receptors and the mitochondrial calcium uniporter channel. The extent of mitochondrial Ca 2+ accumulation scales with TPC2 activity without affecting global Ca 2+ responses, identifying TPC2 as a specific amplifier of lysosome-mitochondria Ca 2+ exchange. Moderate TPC2 activation transiently enhances oxidative phosphorylation, whereas sustained enhancement increases susceptibility to Ca 2+ -induced mitochondrial permeability transition. In stroke models, hyperactivation of TPC2 exacerbates injury, while acute pharmacological inhibition at reperfusion confers neuroprotection, including in human iPSC-derived neurons. Thus, lysosomal Ca 2+ release acts as an upstream regulator of mitochondrial energetic resilience under stress.

Source: bioRxiv (Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory)

DOI: 10.64898/2026.03.03.709381