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mitochondria

·February 8, 2025·7 min read

Mitochondria’s Role in Social Memory May Offer Clues to Brain Disorder

Researchers have identified a unique mitochondrial process in CA2 neurons that supports learning, memory, and social recognition. Mitochondria in different parts of these neurons vary in structure and function, with those at the outermost synapses relying on the mitochondrial calcium uniporter (MCU) for plasticity. Deleting the MCU gene disrupted this plasticity, highlighting its crucial role in maintaining neural connectivity.

Featured Genetics Neuroscience

·December 14, 2024·3 min read

Mini-Brains Reveal New Insights Into Mitochondrial Brain Disorders

Researchers have created mini-brains to study how mitochondrial failure impacts brain cells, opening new possibilities for treating severe conditions like epilepsy. These brain organoids mimic real disease processes, allowing scientists to observe mitochondrial dysfunction and test potential treatments.

This shows an AI representation of mitochondria.

Featured Genetics Neuroscience

·November 22, 2024·4 min read

Mitochondrial Gene Editing Reveals Links to Memory

Researchers used mitochondrial gene editing to model genetic disorders in mice, revealing profound impacts on brain function, metabolism, and thermoregulation. They employed a specialized DNA editing tool to induce mutations in the ND5 mitochondrial gene, disrupting energy production and causing learning deficits, hippocampal atrophy, and obesity.

This shows mitochondria, DNA and a person.

Featured Genetics Neuroscience

·September 26, 2024·3 min read

Mitochondrial DNA Linked to Gulf War Illness Severity in Veterans

Gulf War illness (GWI), a chronic fatigue condition affecting veterans, is linked to genetic variants in mitochondrial DNA. These variants, inherited through the maternal line, appear to predispose some individuals to more severe symptoms of GWI after exposure to environmental toxins.

Featured Genetics Neurology Neuroscience

·May 16, 2024·7 min read

Mitochondrial Boost Reverses Protein Clumping in Aging and Alzheimer’s

A new study in worms reveals a core set of insoluble proteins linked to both aging and Alzheimer's disease. These proteins accumulate during normal aging and are exacerbated by amyloid beta, a hallmark of Alzheimer's.

Featured Neuroscience

·April 25, 2024·4 min read

Sight and Smell of Food Kickstarts Liver Activity

Merely seeing and smelling food can activate adaptations in liver mitochondria in mice within minutes. This response is driven by the activation of POMC neurons in the brain, signaling the liver to prepare for nutrient processing by modifying mitochondrial protein through phosphorylation.

Featured Genetics Neurology Neuroscience

·April 5, 2024·4 min read

Powering Brain Repair: Mitochondria Key to Neurogenesis

Researchers made a groundbreaking discovery about the maturation process of adult-born neurons in the brain, highlighting the critical role of mitochondrial fusion in these cells. Their study shows that as neurons develop, their mitochondria undergo dynamic changes that are crucial for the neurons' ability to form and refine connections, supporting synaptic plasticity in the adult hippocampus.

Featured Genetics Neuroscience

·February 8, 2024·6 min read

Mitochondrial Transport Key to Neurological Health

Researchers have discovered a molecular complex crucial for the transport of mitochondria within neurons, offering new insights into preventing neurodegenerative diseases. The complex, identified as Alex3/Gαq, is pivotal for distributing energy-producing mitochondria throughout neurons, essential for neurotransmission and neuronal functions.

Featured Genetics Neuroscience

·January 29, 2024·5 min read

Gene Linked to Mitochondrial Dysfunction in Obesity

Researchers made a breakthrough in understanding obesity's impact on mitochondria, as detailed in a recent study. They discovered that a high-fat diet causes fat cell mitochondria in mice to fragment into smaller, less efficient units, a process controlled by a single gene.

Featured Genetics Neuroscience Psychology

·August 21, 2023·5 min read

Unlocking Schizophrenia: Mitochondria Dysfunction at the Forefront

Researchers have identified a pivotal role of impaired mitochondrial function in the development of schizophrenia by examining the genetic risk factor 3q29 deletion syndrome. The genetic condition, known to amplify schizophrenia risk by 40 times, displayed alterations in mitochondrial activity in both mice models and human brain organoids.

Featured Genetics Neuroscience

·July 25, 2023·5 min read

Slowing Down the Clock: Key Discovery in Aging and Chronic Inflammation

Researchers uncovered a key mechanism of aging - improper calcium signaling in the mitochondria of certain immune cells, leading to chronic inflammation. As we age, these mitochondria in macrophages lose their ability to uptake and utilize calcium, contributing to various age-related conditions.

This shows a brain in the style of Van Gogh

Featured Neurology Neuroscience

·March 13, 2023·4 min read

A New Immune Pathway Sheds Light on ALS

A recent study reveals that certain proteins, usually associated with inflammation and immunity, can cause damage to our neurons, contributing to ALS.