Human SVIP is sufficient to stimulate tubular lysosomes and extend healthspan in well-fed Caenorhabditis elegans

Small VCP Interacting Protein (SVIP) is essential for maintaining a unique form of tubular lysosomes (TLs) in <i>Drosophila</i> . Although <i>Caenorhabditis elegans</i> do not have an annotated <i>SVIP</i> ortholog, expression of <i>Drosophila SVIP</i> in the <i>C. elegans</i> intestine induces TLs constitutively, increases autophagic activity, and extends healthspan. Here, we find that expression of the human ortholog of <i>SVIP</i> in the <i>C. elegans</i> gut causes similar physiological and phenotypic effects as <i>Drosophila SVIP</i> , albeit some effects were less pronounced. These results demonstrate that human <i>SVIP</i> can induce functional TLs in <i>C. elegans</i> but may be a weaker allele compared to <i>Drosophila SVIP</i> .