Emerging Roles of Mitochondria in Synaptic Transmission and Neurodegeneration

Overview

Journal Curr Opin Physiol

Date 2018 Oct 16

PMID 30320242

Citations 60

Authors

Annie Lee

Yusuke Hirabayashi

Seok-Kyu Kwon

Tommy L Lewis Jr

Franck Polleux

Affiliations

Soon will be listed here.

Abstract

Mitochondria play numerous critical physiological functions in neurons including ATP production, Ca regulation, lipid synthesis, ROS signaling, and the ability to trigger apoptosis. Recently developed technologies, including 2-photon imaging in awake behaving mice revealed that unlike in the peripheral nervous system (PNS), mitochondrial transport decreases strikingly along the axons of adult neurons of the central nervous system (CNS). Furthermore, the improvements of genetically-encoded biosensors have enabled precise monitoring of the spatial and temporal impact of mitochondria on Ca, ATP and ROS homeostasis in a compartment-specific manner. Here, we discuss recent findings that begin to unravel novel physiological and pathophysiological properties of neuronal mitochondria at synapses. We also suggest new directions in the exploration of mitochondrial function in synaptic transmission, plasticity and neurodegeneration.

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