Changes in Lysosomes and Their Autophagic Function in Aging: The Comparative Biology of Lysosomal Function

The lysosome, the organelle with the greatest degradative capability in the cell, is an essential component of the systems responsible for cellular quality control. Lysosome malfunctioning alters cellular homeostasis and has been proposed to contribute to the accumulation of abnormal and damaged intracellular components in different human pathologies and aging organisms. In this chapter, we summarize the most recent advances in the characterization of the complex subset of molecular components that contribute to proper lysosomal functioning. We also provide a comparative analysis of the main properties and components of the lysosomal system in different species and review the evolutive changes of this essential catabolic pathway. A more complete characterization of the lysosomal system has recently revealed the importance of lysosomes in cellular physiology and has helped establish causal connections between impaired lysosomal function and certain diseases. In the last part of this chapter, we provide a brief summary of these connections with special emphasis on lysosomal changes in age-related disorders.