Loss of TMEM55B modulates lipid metabolism through dysregulated lipophagy and mitochondrial function

Abstract

Lipophagy is a form of selective autophagy that targets the lipid droplets for lysosomal decay and has been implicated in the onset and progression of metabolic dysfunction-associated steatotic liver disease (MASLD). Factors that augment lipophagy have been identified as targets for MASLD therapeutic development. TMEM55B is a key regulator of lysosomal positioning which is critical for the lysosome fusion with the autophagosome, but less studied. Here, we demonstrate that inhibition of TMEM55B in murine models accelerates MASLD onset and progression. In cellular models, TMEM55B deficiency enhances lipophagy, leading to increased fatty acid release from lysosomes to mitochondria but simultaneously impairs mitophagy, causing an accumulation of dysfunctional mitochondria. This imbalance leads to increased lipid accumulation and oxidative stress, worsening MASLD. These findings underscore the importance of lysosomal positioning in lipid metabolism and suggest that augmenting lipophagy may exacerbate disease in the context of mitochondrial dysfunction.