MitoROS due to loss of Slc4a11 in corneal endothelial cells induces ER stress, lysosomal dysfunction and impairs autophagy

Recent studies from Slc4a11 KO mice have identified mitochondrial dysfunction as a major contributor toward oxidative stress and cell death in Congenital Hereditary Endothelial Dystrophy. Here we asked if this stress activated autophagy in the Slc4a11 KO cell line and in KO mouse endothelial tissue. Early indicators of autophagy, phospho-mTOR and LC3-II indicated activation, however P62 was elevated suggesting an impairment of autophagy flux. The activity and the number of lysosomes, the organelle responsible for the final degradation of autophagy substrates, were found to be reduced in the KO. In addition, the expression of the master regulator of lysosomal function and biogenesis, TFEB, was significantly reduced in the KO corneal endothelia. Also, we observed increased Unfolded Protein Response, as well as elevated expression of ER stress markers, BIP and CHOP. To test if lysosomal and ER stress stems from elevated mitochondrial ROS, we treated Slc4a11 KO corneal endothelial cells with the mitochondrial ROS quencher, MitoQ. MitoQ restored lysosomal enzymes as well as TFEB, reduced ER stress, and increased autophagy flux. MitoQ injections of Slc4a11 KO mice decreased corneal edema, the major phenotype associated with CHED. We conclude that mitochondrial ROS causes ER stress and lysosomal dysfunction with impairment of autophagy in Slc4a11 KO corneal endothelium. Our study is the first to identify the presence as well as cause of lysosomal dysfunction and ER stress in an animal model of CHED, and to characterize inter-organelle relationship in a corneal cell type.