Related Experiment Video
Updated: Feb 5, 2026

Imaging the Intracellular Trafficking of APP with Photoactivatable GFP
Published on: October 17, 2015
Palmitoylation controls trafficking of the intracellular Ca
So Woon Kim1, Dong Hyun Kim1, Kyoung Sun Park2
1a Department of Physiology , Sungkyunkwan University School of Medicine , Suwon , Korea.
Abstract:
MCOLN3/TRPML3 is a Ca2+-permeable cation channel that is expressed in multiple subcellular compartments with dynamic localization. Our previous studies suggest that upon macroautophagy/autophagy induction MCOLN3/TRPML3 is recruited and provides Ca2+ for the fusion process in autophagosome biogenesis. However, how intracellular trafficking and the Ca2+ channel function of MCOLN3/TRPML3 are related to autophagy are not known. Here we report that MCOLN3/TRPML3 undergoes palmitoylation at its C-terminal region, which is required for dynamic trafficking and cellular function of MCOLN3/TRPML3 in autophagy. Palmitoylation regulated MCOLN3/TRPML3 surface expression and trafficking, but not channel properties or localization and function of intracellular MCOLN3/TRPML3. Activation of intracellular MCOLN3/TRPML3 induced robust Ca2+ release, which solely increased autophagy in Ca2+- and palmitoylation-dependent manners. Palmitoylation regulated not only intracellular MCOLN3/TRPML3 trafficking to autophagic structures but also autophagic flux in induced autophagy. Importantly, nutrient starvation activated MCOLN3/TRPML3 to release Ca2+ and increased the level of MCOLN3/TRPML3 palmitoylation. Disruption of MCOLN3/TRPML3 palmitoylation, however, abolished the starvation-induced MCOLN3/TRPML3 activation without affecting channel activity. These results suggest that trafficking and channel function of MCOLN3/TRPML3 are regulated in the context of autophagy, and palmitoylation is a prerequisite for the function of MCOLN3/TRPML3 as a Ca2+ channel in autophagosome formation by controlling its trafficking between subcellular compartments. Abbreviations: 17-ODYA, 17-octadecynoic acid; 2-BP, 2-bromopalmitate; BFA, brefeldin A; DN, dominant-negative; GPN, glycyl-L-phenylalanine-beta-naphthylamide; HN, hydroxylamine; KD, knockdown; MCOLN3/TRPML3, mucolipin 3; MS, mass spectrometry; PAT, palmitoyl acyltransferase; PM, plasma membrane; WT, wild type; ZDHHC, a zinc-finger motif and an Asp-His-His-Cys sequence.
More Related Videos
08:55Visualizing Intracellular SNARE Trafficking by Fluorescence Lifetime Imaging Microscopy
Published on: December 29, 2017
10:41Confocal and Super-Resolution Imaging of Polarized Intracellular Trafficking and Secretion of Basement Membrane Proteins During Drosophila Oogenesis
Published on: May 19, 2022
Related Concept Videos
Intracellular Signaling Cascades
Intracellular Hormone Receptors
Control System Problem
When forming a closed-loop system, issues can arise if the poles cross into the unstable region, leading to potential...
Intracellular Signaling Affects Focal Adhesions
Some...
Intracellular Movement of Viruses and Bacteria
Combinatorial Gene Control
The expression of more than 30,000 genes is controlled by approximately 2000-3000 transcription factors. This is possible because a single transcription factor can recognize more than one regulatory sequence. The specificity in gene...