FIGURE 1.

Input and outputs integration by the lysosome. The lysosome interfaces with multiple molecular sensors that sense the levels of specific metabolites such as amino acids, glucose, and AMP, extracellular cues such as growth factors, hormones, and microbe-derived molecules, and stress indicators such as those released by membrane damage. The integration of sensors and the molecular pathways used to process these inputs then lead to output responses that aid in cell survival, adaptation, or stress resolution. These outputs may include autophagy regulation, metabolic adaptation, altered protein synthesis and turnover rates, antigen processing and presentation, and lysosome exocytosis, among other possible responses. Thus, the lysosome is a key integrator and organizer of cellular adaptation and survival.