STING activation moves acidic organelles to the cell center via a Parkinson's-linked kinase.

Inside your immune cells, tiny compartments called lysosomes and recycling endosomes help process waste and stress. Scientists wanted to understand how an immune sensor named STING moves these compartments around. They looked at brain immune cells called microglia. When STING is turned on, it triggers a chain reaction that shifts a key protein, LRRK2, to a central spot near the cell center. To move there, LRRK2 relies on internal tracks called microtubules, its own enzymatic activity, a helper target called Rab35, and motor adaptors like JIP4. These helpers gather around the central area too. Finally, a mutation linked to Parkinson disease makes this movement happen even more actively. In short, STING uses LRRK2 to steer cell organelles inward during stress.

Why it matters

This connects the immune system's DNA sensor to how cells organize their internal garbage disposal. For Parkinson's disease, where a common mutation makes LRRK2 hyperactive, the finding suggests immune stress could directly disrupt organelle positioning in brain immune cells, potentially linking infection or inflammation to neurodegeneration.

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