Powering the Brain: Understanding how Astrocytes Contribute to Energy Maintenance

大脑是人体中能量消耗最大的器官。为了提供足够的能量，神经元和神经胶质细胞利用线粒体中的氧化磷酸化来产生高达90%的细胞生理所需的ATP。值得注意的是，星形胶质细胞，一种高度特化的神经胶质细胞周围的神经元，约占75%的ATP产生在大脑中。由星形胶质细胞产生的强大ATP支持能量消耗处理，包括细胞外离子维持、神经递质稳态和来自血管系统的能量底物运输。尽管已知星形胶质细胞产生能量的重要性，但体内这一过程的基本方面仍不清楚。需要进一步的研究来解决这些细胞如何创造，储存和分配能量，以维持大脑细胞的结构和生理完整性。在这个发现研究计划中，我们将使用先进的体内基因传递方法结合尖端的成像，分子和电生理学方法研究星形胶质细胞线粒体的基本特性。

The brain is the most energy expensive organ in the human body. To provide sufficient energy, neurons and glial cells harness oxidative phosphorylation in mitochondria to produce up to 90% of ATP required for cellular physiology. Remarkably, astrocytes, a highly specialized glial cell surrounding neurons, account for approximately 75% of ATP produced in the brain. The robust ATP production by astrocytes supports energy-consuming processing including extracellular ion maintenance, neurotransmitter homeostasis, and energy substrate transport from cerebrovasculature. Despite the known importance of energy production by astrocytes, fundamental aspects of this process in vivo remain unclear. Further investigation is need to resolve how these cells create, store, and distribute energy to maintain the structural and physiological integrity of cells in the brain. In this Discovery Research Program, we will study fundamental properties of astrocyte mitochondria using advanced in vivo gene delivery methods combined with cutting-edge imaging, molecular, and electrophysiology approaches.