Role of Nlrx1 in neuronal death

神经元细胞死亡是在发育期间和整个成年期塑造中枢神经系统的基本过程。为了克服炎症或饥饿期间的细胞应激，神经元可以激活分子通路，重新定向细胞能量以获得最佳生存。或者，神经元可以激活导致程序性细胞死亡（或细胞自杀）的通路。我建议研究一种名为Nlrx1的新蛋白在细胞存活和细胞自杀机制中的作用。Nlrx1是最近发现的蛋白质家族的成员，其调节植物和哺乳动物的免疫应答。以前的研究表明，Nlrx1在抑制免疫反应中起着至关重要的作用。我们的初步数据表明，Nlrx1在神经元死亡和存活中起作用。我们观察到，在Nlrx1不存在的情况下，大量神经元死亡。利用当代细胞生物学的现代技术，我们将发现强调神经元稳态的关键特征。

Neuronal cell death is a fundamental process that shapes the central nervous system during development and throughout adulthood. To overcome cellular stress during inflammation or starvation, neurons can activate molecular pathways that will redirect cellular energy for optimal survival. Alternatively, neurons can activate pathways, which lead to programmed cell death (or cellular suicide). I propose to study a role of the novel protein named Nlrx1 in mechanisms of cellular survival and cellular suicide. Nlrx1 is a member of recently discovered family of proteins, which regulate immune responses in plants and mammals. Previous reports suggest that Nlrx1 plays crucial role in suppressing immune response. Our preliminary data suggests that Nlrx1 plays a role in neuronal death and survival. We observed that a significantly larger number of neurons died in the absence of Nlrx1. Using modern techniques of contemporary cellular biology, we will find key features that underline neuronal homeostasis.