Subcellular Regulation of Ferroptosis: Roles of Individual Intracellular Organelles and Crosstalk

Abstract

Ferroptosis is an iron-dependent form of regulated cell death characterized by excessive lipid peroxidation. Emerging evidence indicates that susceptibility to ferroptosis is not governed solely by cytosolic signaling pathways, but instead results from the coordinated actions of multiple intracellular organelles, including mitochondria, lysosomes, the endoplasmic reticulum (ER), and lipid droplets. Mitochondria play dual roles in ferroptosis by integrating metabolic activity, redox balance, and mitochondrial quality control; thereby influencing reactive oxygen species generation and lipid peroxidation. Lysosomes regulate ferroptotic sensitivity through iron mobilization, inter-organelle iron transfer, lysosomal redox activity/lipid peroxidation, lysosomal signaling hub, and ferritinophagy. The ER contributes to ferroptosis by coordinating lipid biosynthesis, membrane polyunsaturated fatty acid composition, and unfolded protein response signaling, as well as by disrupting antioxidant defenses and iron homeostasis, especially during ER stress. Lipid droplets function as dynamic lipid reservoirs that buffer oxidizable fatty acids or, upon mobilization, supply substrates that fuel ferroptosis-associated lipid peroxidation. Here, we provide a comprehensive review of current mechanistic insights and recent advances in organelle-specific regulation and inter-organelle crosstalk during ferroptosis, highlighting emerging therapeutic opportunities and key experimental challenges. An integrated understanding of this multi-organelle regulatory network is essential for modulating ferroptosis in human diseases.