The pyruvate transporter hermes regulates autophagy and health by modulating ROS production.

Authors

Panagiotis D Velentzas, Fei Chai, Eric H Baehrecke

Published in

Cell reports. Volume 45. Issue 7. Pages 117574. Jun 19, 2026. Epub Jun 19, 2026.

Abstract

Autophagy is a catabolic process that degrades cytoplasmic materials and is controlled by nutrient availability and signaling. The plasma membrane-associated pyruvate-solute carrier hermes (hrm) is required for regulation of the mechanistic target of rapamycin (mTOR) signaling and the activation of autophagy during development. Here, we screen for pyruvate-influencing genes that suppress the hrm mutant phenotype. We show that the inhibitory effect of hrm loss on autophagy depends on pyruvate transport into mitochondria and the Krebs cycle. Loss of hrm results in an increase in reactive oxygen species (ROS), and attenuation of the increase in ROS is sufficient to suppress the effects of hrm loss on autophagy and mTOR signaling. Importantly, we show that in adult animals, loss of hrm results in decreased lifespan, with defects in autophagy in intestine tissues. These results link a plasma membrane pyruvate carrier to mitochondrial pyruvate metabolism, ROS, autophagy, and organismal health.

PMID:
42319829
Bibliographic data and abstract were imported from PubMed on 20 Jun 2026.

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