Isoginkgetin protects against degeneration of ALS motor neurons via regulating the GSK-3β-TFEB signaling axis

Abstract

Lysosomal dysfunction is a core pathological driver of neurodegenerative diseases such as amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS). Transcription factor EB (TFEB) serves as a master regulator of lysosomal biogenesis, and its pharmacological activation represents a strategy to restore lysosomal function in disease and aging. Here, using a series of artificial intelligence-powered computational virtual screening workflows, we have identified isoginkgetin (ISO), a small-molecule compound, as a potent TFEB activator that promotes mechanistic target of rapamycin complex 1 (mTORC1)-independent TFEB nuclear translocation to enhance lysosomal biogenesis and function. Mechanistically, ISO functions as an ATP-competitive inhibitor that binds to the key Lys85 residue within the ATP-binding pocket of glycogen synthase kinase 3β (GSK-3β), thereby regulating the GSK-3β-TFEB signaling axis to activate TFEB nuclear translocation. Functionally, ISO improves lysosomal function and protects motor neurons differentiated from induced pluripotent stem cells derived from patients with ALS from degeneration. Collectively, these results support the hypothesis that lysosomal dysfunction is a druggable target for ALS.

Keywords: Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis; Artificial intelligence; GSK-3β–TFEB axis; Isoginkgetin; Lysosome.