The lipid kinase PI4KIIIβ preserves lysosomal identity

Lipid modifications are essential in cellular sorting and trafficking inside cells. The role of phosphoinositides in trafficking between Golgi and endocytic/lysosomal compartments has been extensively explored and the kinases responsible for these lipid changes have been identified. In contrast, the mechanisms that mediate exit and recycling from lysosomes (Lys), considered for a long time as terminal compartments, are less understood. In this work, we identify a dynamic association of the lipid kinase PI4KIII beta with Lys and unveil its regulatory function in lysosomal export and retrieval. We have found that absence of PI4KIIIb leads to abnormal formation of tubular structures from the lysosomal surface and loss of lysosomal constituents through these tubules. We demonstrate that the kinase activity of PI4KIIIb is necessary to prevent this unwanted lysosomal efflux under normal conditions, and to facilitate proper sorting when recycling of lysosomal material is needed, such as in the physiological context of lysosomal reformation after prolonged starvation.