In aged mice with cognitive deficits, neuronal activity and mitochondrial function are decoupled

Summary author: Walter Beckwith

2024-12-19

(Press-News.org) New findings in mice have uncovered a crucial mechanism linking neuronal activity to mitochondrial function, researchers report, revealing a potential pathway to combat age-related cognitive decline. Mitochondria play a pivotal role in meeting the dynamic energy demands of neuronal activity, producing adenosine triphosphate (ATP) primarily via oxidative phosphorylation (OXPHOS). However, in the aging mammalian brain, mitochondrial metabolism deteriorates, leading to profound effects on neuronal and circuit functionality. The breakdown of the OXPHOS pathway contributes to oxidative stress and mitochondrial dysfunction. However, the mechanisms underlying the decline in OXPHOS activity and its impact on mitochondrial efficiency in aging neurons remain poorly understood, which, by extension, has limited the development of targeted interventions for age-related cognitive decline. To address this, Wenwen Li and colleagues investigated the role of mitochondrial transcription in cognition in the hippocampus of young and aged mice. Li et al. identified a novel coupling mechanism, which they dubbed excitation-mitochondrial DNA transcription coupling (E-TCmito), that connects neuronal excitation with mitochondrial DNA transcription. This coupling, distinct from the traditional excitation-transcription coupling in the nucleus, is essential for maintaining synaptic and mitochondrial health. In aging brains, the effectiveness of E-TCmito declines, leading to cognitive deficits. Notably, by enhancing E-TCmito in aged mice, the authors observed improved cognitive function, highlighting its potential as a therapeutic target for counteracting cognitive decline associated with aging. “Through an impressive combination of innovative tools, innovative physiology, and behavior experiments, Li et al. provide key insights into mitochondrial biology in the aging mammalian brain,” write Deniz Bingul and Scott Owen in a related Perspective. “The findings raise the possibility of identifying targets for age-related neurocognitive disorders associated with mitochondrial dysfunction, including Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s diseases.”

END

ELSE PRESS RELEASES FROM THIS DATE:

Discovered: A protein that helps make molecules for pest defense in Solanum species

2024-12-19

A protein – dubbed GAME15 – is the missing link in the pathway that Solanum plants like potatoes use to make molecules for chemical defense: steroidal glycoalkaloids (SGAs). The findings pave the way for engineering this biosynthetic pathway into other plants, enabling innovative applications in agriculture and biotechnology. “The discovery … provides a key to engineering SGAs for food, cosmetics, and pharmaceuticals,” write the authors. Plants produce a wide variety of secondary metabolites that are crucial for their growth ...

Macroscopic oscillators move as one at the quantum level

2024-12-19

Quantum technologies are radically transforming our understanding of the universe. One emerging technology are macroscopic mechanical oscillators, devices that are vital in quartz watches, mobile phones, and lasers used in telecommunications. In the quantum realm, macroscopic oscillators could enable ultra-sensitive sensors and components for quantum computing, opening new possibilities for innovation in various industries. Controlling mechanical oscillators at the quantum level is essential for developing future technologies in quantum computing and ultra-precise ...

Early warning tool will help control huge locust swarms

2024-12-19

Desert locusts typically lead solitary lives until something - like intense rainfall - triggers them to swarm in vast numbers, often with devastating consequences. This migratory pest can reach plague proportions, and a swarm covering one square kilometre can consume enough food in one day to feed 35,000 people. Such extensive crop destruction pushes up local food prices and can lead to riots and mass starvation. Now a team led by the University of Cambridge has developed a way to predict when and where desert locusts will swarm, so they can be dealt with before the problem ...

Study shows role of cells’ own RNA in antiviral defense

2024-12-19

Scientists have uncovered a new role for a cell’s own RNA in fending off attacks by RNA viruses. Some of the cell’s RNA molecules, researchers found, help regulate antiviral signaling. These signals are part of the intricate coordination of immune responses against virus invasion. A paper this week in Science reports how cellular RNA carries out its infection-controlling function. “With RNA increasingly seen as both a drug and a druggable target,” the scientists wrote, “this opens the potential for RNA-based therapeutics for combating both infection and autoimmunity.” The senior investigator is Ram Savan, professor of immunology at the ...

Are particle emissions from offshore wind farms harmful for blue mussels?

2024-12-19

After several years of service under harsh weather conditions, the rotor blades of offshore wind parks are subjected to degradation and surface erosion, releasing sizeable quantities of particle emissions into the environment. A team of researchers led by the Alfred Wegener Institute has now investigated the effects of these particle on blue mussels – a species also being considered for the multi-use of wind parks for aquaculture. In the experiment, the mussels absorbed metals from the rotor blades’ coatings, as the team describes in a study just released in the journal Science of the Total Environment, where they also discuss ...

More is not always better: Hospitals can reduce the number of hand hygiene observations without affecting data quality

2024-12-19

Arlington, Va., December 19, 2024 – Hand hygiene (HH) monitoring in hospitals could be reduced significantly, allowing infection preventionists to redirect efforts toward quality improvement and patient safety initiatives, according to a new study published in the American Journal of Infection Control. The study’s findings suggest that hospitals could reduce the number of HH observations from 200 to as few as 50 observations per unit per month without compromising data quality. Hand hygiene is the simplest ...

Genetic discovery links new gene to autism spectrum disorder

2024-12-19

TORONTO, CA – New research published in The American Journal of Human Genetics has identified a previously unknown genetic link to autism spectrum disorder (ASD). The study found that variants in the DDX53 gene contribute to ASD, providing new insights into the genetic underpinnings of the condition. ASD, which affects more males than females, encompasses a group of neurodevelopmental conditions that result in challenges related to communication, social understanding and behaviour. While DDX53, located on the X chromosome, is known to play a role in brain development and function, it was not previously definitively associated with autism. In ...

Chemistry: Algorithm can sniff out whisky’s strongest notes and origin

2024-12-19

Two machine learning algorithms can determine whether a whisky is of American or Scotch origin and identify its strongest aromas, according to research published in Communications Chemistry. The results also suggest that the algorithms can outperform human experts at assessing a whisky’s strongest aromas. A whisky’s aroma is determined by a complex mixture of odorous compounds. This makes it highly challenging to assess or predict a whisky’s aroma characteristics, or notes, based solely on its molecular composition. Panels of human experts are often used to identify the strongest notes of a whisky, but these require a ...

Researchers develop personalized stem cell model ALS for fast, individualized drug testing

2024-12-19

Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) is a fast-progressing neurodegenerative disease with an average survival time of three years. In ALS, certain types of neurons called motor neurons that are required for muscle contractions die off, leading to progressive paralysis affecting most muscles of the body. The molecular causes of ALS are poorly understood, and effective treatments are missing. To study ALS in the lab, Hideyuki Okano and his colleagues from Keio University, Japan, developed a new method to make motor neurons from stem cells taken directly from ALS patients. The results were published today in the journal Stem Cell Reports. ...

Evolutionary study reveals the toxic reach of disease-causing bacteria across the Plant Kingdom

2024-12-19

The capacity of bacteria to spread disease across the Plant Kingdom may be much more widespread than previously suspected, according to new analysis. John Innes Centre researchers took a comparative evolutionary approach, using the diversity of Pseudomonas syringae bacteria, to determine how this pathogen infects distantly related plants. In experiments, researchers in the team of Dr Phil Carella, group leader, analysed the toxin syringomycin produced by the most widely infectious P. syringae strains, and compared its effect on both non-flowering and flowering plants. The results showed that syringomycin was toxic in non-flowering plants (represented in this ...

In aged mice with cognitive deficits, neuronal activity and mitochondrial function are decoupled

ELSE PRESS RELEASES FROM THIS DATE:

LAST 30 PRESS RELEASES: