Acinus: A nuclear regulator of autophagy and endocytic trafficking

Fusion with lysosomes is the common last step of endocytic trafficking and autophagy. Accordingly, several proteins are required in both pathways for cargoes to reach their destinations. Among these proteins, Drosophila Acinus stands out, as it exerts opposite effects on these two pathways, and thus establishes a new paradigm. Loss of Acinus function destabilizes early endosomes, thereby promoting the delivery of their cargo to lysosomes. By contrast, the maturation of autophagosomes to autolysosomes is inhibited in acn mutant cells. The increase in autophagy upon Acinus overexpression and its location to the nucleus are consistent with Acinus being a novel regulator of autophagy.