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ResearchIn-Press PreviewAgingEndocrinology Open Access | 10.1172/jci.insight.192827

Palmitate impairs autophagic degradation via oxidative stress-perilysosomal Ca2+ overload-mTORC1 activation in pancreatic β-cells

Ha Thu Nguyen,1 Luong Dai Ly,1 Thuy Thi Thanh Ngo,1 Soo Kyung Lee,1 Carlos Noriega Polo,1 Subo Lee,1 Taesic Lee,2 Seung-Kuy Cha,1 Xaviera Riani Yasasilka,3 Kae Won Cho,3 Myung-Shik Lee,3 Andreas Wiederkehr,4 Claes B. Wollheim,5 and Kyu-Sang Park1

1Department of Physiology, Yonsei University Wonju College of Medicine, Wonju, Korea, Republic of

2Department of Family Medicine, Yonsei University Wonju College of Medicine, Wonju, Korea, Republic of

3Soonchunhyang Institute of Medi-bio Science, Soonchunhyang University, Cheonan, Korea, Republic of

4Ecole Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne, Lausanne, Switzerland

5Department of Cell Physiology and Metabolism, University of Geneva, Geneva, Switzerland

Find articles by Nguyen, H. in: PubMed | Google Scholar

1Department of Physiology, Yonsei University Wonju College of Medicine, Wonju, Korea, Republic of

2Department of Family Medicine, Yonsei University Wonju College of Medicine, Wonju, Korea, Republic of

3Soonchunhyang Institute of Medi-bio Science, Soonchunhyang University, Cheonan, Korea, Republic of

4Ecole Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne, Lausanne, Switzerland

5Department of Cell Physiology and Metabolism, University of Geneva, Geneva, Switzerland

Find articles by Ly, L. in: PubMed | Google Scholar

1Department of Physiology, Yonsei University Wonju College of Medicine, Wonju, Korea, Republic of

2Department of Family Medicine, Yonsei University Wonju College of Medicine, Wonju, Korea, Republic of

3Soonchunhyang Institute of Medi-bio Science, Soonchunhyang University, Cheonan, Korea, Republic of

4Ecole Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne, Lausanne, Switzerland

5Department of Cell Physiology and Metabolism, University of Geneva, Geneva, Switzerland

Find articles by Ngo, T. in: PubMed | Google Scholar

1Department of Physiology, Yonsei University Wonju College of Medicine, Wonju, Korea, Republic of

2Department of Family Medicine, Yonsei University Wonju College of Medicine, Wonju, Korea, Republic of

3Soonchunhyang Institute of Medi-bio Science, Soonchunhyang University, Cheonan, Korea, Republic of

4Ecole Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne, Lausanne, Switzerland

5Department of Cell Physiology and Metabolism, University of Geneva, Geneva, Switzerland

Find articles by Lee, S. in: PubMed | Google Scholar

1Department of Physiology, Yonsei University Wonju College of Medicine, Wonju, Korea, Republic of

2Department of Family Medicine, Yonsei University Wonju College of Medicine, Wonju, Korea, Republic of

3Soonchunhyang Institute of Medi-bio Science, Soonchunhyang University, Cheonan, Korea, Republic of

4Ecole Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne, Lausanne, Switzerland

5Department of Cell Physiology and Metabolism, University of Geneva, Geneva, Switzerland

Find articles by Noriega Polo, C. in: PubMed | Google Scholar

1Department of Physiology, Yonsei University Wonju College of Medicine, Wonju, Korea, Republic of

2Department of Family Medicine, Yonsei University Wonju College of Medicine, Wonju, Korea, Republic of

3Soonchunhyang Institute of Medi-bio Science, Soonchunhyang University, Cheonan, Korea, Republic of

4Ecole Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne, Lausanne, Switzerland

5Department of Cell Physiology and Metabolism, University of Geneva, Geneva, Switzerland

Find articles by Lee, S. in: PubMed | Google Scholar

1Department of Physiology, Yonsei University Wonju College of Medicine, Wonju, Korea, Republic of

2Department of Family Medicine, Yonsei University Wonju College of Medicine, Wonju, Korea, Republic of

3Soonchunhyang Institute of Medi-bio Science, Soonchunhyang University, Cheonan, Korea, Republic of

4Ecole Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne, Lausanne, Switzerland

5Department of Cell Physiology and Metabolism, University of Geneva, Geneva, Switzerland

Find articles by Lee, T. in: PubMed | Google Scholar

1Department of Physiology, Yonsei University Wonju College of Medicine, Wonju, Korea, Republic of

2Department of Family Medicine, Yonsei University Wonju College of Medicine, Wonju, Korea, Republic of

3Soonchunhyang Institute of Medi-bio Science, Soonchunhyang University, Cheonan, Korea, Republic of

4Ecole Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne, Lausanne, Switzerland

5Department of Cell Physiology and Metabolism, University of Geneva, Geneva, Switzerland

Find articles by Cha, S. in: PubMed | Google Scholar

1Department of Physiology, Yonsei University Wonju College of Medicine, Wonju, Korea, Republic of

2Department of Family Medicine, Yonsei University Wonju College of Medicine, Wonju, Korea, Republic of

3Soonchunhyang Institute of Medi-bio Science, Soonchunhyang University, Cheonan, Korea, Republic of

4Ecole Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne, Lausanne, Switzerland

5Department of Cell Physiology and Metabolism, University of Geneva, Geneva, Switzerland

Find articles by Yasasilka, X. in: PubMed | Google Scholar

1Department of Physiology, Yonsei University Wonju College of Medicine, Wonju, Korea, Republic of

2Department of Family Medicine, Yonsei University Wonju College of Medicine, Wonju, Korea, Republic of

3Soonchunhyang Institute of Medi-bio Science, Soonchunhyang University, Cheonan, Korea, Republic of

4Ecole Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne, Lausanne, Switzerland

5Department of Cell Physiology and Metabolism, University of Geneva, Geneva, Switzerland

Find articles by Cho, K. in: PubMed | Google Scholar |

1Department of Physiology, Yonsei University Wonju College of Medicine, Wonju, Korea, Republic of

2Department of Family Medicine, Yonsei University Wonju College of Medicine, Wonju, Korea, Republic of

3Soonchunhyang Institute of Medi-bio Science, Soonchunhyang University, Cheonan, Korea, Republic of

4Ecole Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne, Lausanne, Switzerland

5Department of Cell Physiology and Metabolism, University of Geneva, Geneva, Switzerland

Find articles by Lee, M. in: PubMed | Google Scholar

1Department of Physiology, Yonsei University Wonju College of Medicine, Wonju, Korea, Republic of

2Department of Family Medicine, Yonsei University Wonju College of Medicine, Wonju, Korea, Republic of

3Soonchunhyang Institute of Medi-bio Science, Soonchunhyang University, Cheonan, Korea, Republic of

4Ecole Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne, Lausanne, Switzerland

5Department of Cell Physiology and Metabolism, University of Geneva, Geneva, Switzerland

Find articles by Wiederkehr, A. in: PubMed | Google Scholar

1Department of Physiology, Yonsei University Wonju College of Medicine, Wonju, Korea, Republic of

2Department of Family Medicine, Yonsei University Wonju College of Medicine, Wonju, Korea, Republic of

3Soonchunhyang Institute of Medi-bio Science, Soonchunhyang University, Cheonan, Korea, Republic of

4Ecole Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne, Lausanne, Switzerland

5Department of Cell Physiology and Metabolism, University of Geneva, Geneva, Switzerland

Find articles by Wollheim, C. in: PubMed | Google Scholar

1Department of Physiology, Yonsei University Wonju College of Medicine, Wonju, Korea, Republic of

2Department of Family Medicine, Yonsei University Wonju College of Medicine, Wonju, Korea, Republic of

3Soonchunhyang Institute of Medi-bio Science, Soonchunhyang University, Cheonan, Korea, Republic of

4Ecole Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne, Lausanne, Switzerland

5Department of Cell Physiology and Metabolism, University of Geneva, Geneva, Switzerland

Find articles by Park, K. in: PubMed | Google Scholar |

Published November 11, 2025 - More info

JCI Insight. https://doi.org/10.1172/jci.insight.192827.
Copyright © 2025, Nguyen et al. This work is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License. To view a copy of this license, visit http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/.
Published November 11, 2025 - Version history
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Abstract

Saturated fatty acids impose lipotoxic stress on pancreatic β-cells, leading to β-cell failure and diabetes. In this study, we investigate the critical role of organellar Ca2+ disturbance on defective autophagy and β-cell lipotoxicity. Palmitate, a saturated fatty acid, induced perilysosomal Ca2+ elevation, sustained mTORC1 activation on the lysosomal membrane, suppression of the lysosomal transient receptor potential mucolipin 1 (TRPML1) channel, and accumulation of undigested autophagosomes in β-cells. These Ca2+ aberrations with autophagy defects by palmitate were prevented by an mTORC1 inhibitor or a mitochondrial superoxide scavenger. To alleviate perilysosomal Ca2+ overload, strategies such as lowering extracellular Ca2+, employing voltage-gated Ca2+ channel blocker or ATP-sensitive K+ channel opener effectively abrogated mTORC1 activation and preserved autophagy. Furthermore, redirecting perilysosomal Ca2+ into the endoplasmic reticulum (ER) with an ER Ca2+ ATPase activator, restores TRPML1 activity, promotes autophagic flux, and improves survival of β-cells exposed to palmitate-induced lipotoxicity. Our findings suggest oxidative stress-Ca2+ overload-mTORC1 pathway involvement in TRPML1 suppression and defective autophagy during β-cell lipotoxicity. Restoring perilysosomal Ca2+ homeostasis emerges as a promising therapeutic strategy for metabolic diseases.

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