Membrane contact activation of Piezo2 drives lysosome-mitochondrion Ca(2+) transfer and signaling in Trypanosoma cruzi.

Membrane contact activation of TcPiezo2 in Trypanosoma cruzi drives lysosome-mitochondrion Ca(2+) transfer critical for parasite survival.

• Why it matters: Understanding how mechanical forces regulate interorganelle communication can reveal new targets for controlling parasite viability and disease progression.
• What they did: The study used ultrastructural, biochemical, and live-cell superresolution imaging to identify lysosome-mitochondrion contact sites and demonstrate TcPiezo2's role in Ca(2+) release and transfer.
• The result: Disruption of TcPiezo2-dependent Ca(2+) transfer impairs mitochondrial metabolism, perturbs redox homeostasis, induces autophagy, and causes parasite death, highlighting LMCs as key signaling platforms.