Human SVIP is sufficient to stimulate tubular lysosomes and extend healthspan in well-fed Caenorhabditis elegans.

Abstract

Small VCP Interacting Protein (SVIP) is essential for maintaining a unique form of tubular lysosomes (TLs) in Drosophila . Although Caenorhabditis elegans do not have an annotated SVIP ortholog, expression of Drosophila SVIP in the C. elegans intestine induces TLs constitutively, increases autophagic activity, and extends healthspan. Here, we find that expression of the human ortholog of SVIP in the C. elegans gut causes similar physiological and phenotypic effects as Drosophila SVIP , albeit some effects were less pronounced. These results demonstrate that human SVIP can induce functional TLs in C. elegans but may be a weaker allele compared to Drosophila SVIP .