Lysosomes in Apoptosis

Lysosomes are specialized organelles for protein recycling and as such are involved in the terminal steps of autophagy. However, it has become evident that lysosomes also play an important role in the progression of apoptosis. This latter function seems to be dependent on lysosomal proteases, which need to be released into the cytosol for apoptosis to be efficient. Among the lysosomal proteases, the most abundant are the cysteine cathepsins and the aspartic protease cathepsin D, which seem to be the major apoptosis mediators. This chapter reviews the methods used to study lysosomes and lysosomal proteases.