Lithium treatment rescues dysfunctional autophagy in the cell models of Tay-Sachs disease

Tay-Sachs disease is a rare lysosomal storage disorder (LSD) caused by a mutation in the HexA gene coding beta-hexosaminidase A enzyme. The disruption of the HexA gene causes the accumulation of GM2 ganglioside resulting in progressive neurodegeneration in humans. Surprisingly, Hexa-/- mice did not show neurological phenotypes. Our group recently generated a murine model of Tay-Sachs disease exhibiting excessive GM2 accumulation and severe neuropathological abnormalities mimicking Tay-Sachs patients. Previously, we reported impaired autophagic flux in the brain of Hexa/-Neu3-/- mice. However, regulation of autophagic flux using inducers has not been clarified in Tay-Sachs disease cells. Here, we evaluated the effects of lithium treatment on dysfunctional autophagic flux using LC3 and p62 in the fibroblast and neuroglia of Hexa-/-Neu3-/ - mice and Tay-Sachs patients. We discovered the clearance of accumulating autophagosomes, aggregate-prone metabolites, and GM2 ganglioside under lithium-induced conditions. Our data suggest that targeting autophagic flux with an autophagy inducer might be a rational therapeutic strategy for the treatment of Tay-Sachs disease.