Stimulating transformation of glucose molecules into lipids in neurons is an essential factor for the development of neural networks, according to a study published in The EMBO Journal –publication of the European Molecular Biology Laboratory- and led by Professor Francesc X. Soriano, of the Faculty of Biology and the Institute of Neurosciences of the UB (UBNeuro). The lecturers Manuel Reina (Faculty of Biology of the UB) and Ofèlia M. Martínez (Faculty of Biology of the UB and Institute of Biomedicine of the UB, IBUB) and other experts have participated in the study as well.
The scientific team has determined the molecular mechanism that stimulates the recruitment and metabolism of glucose in the synaptic activity between neurons. According to the new study, this is regulated by the genic expression of the glucose transporter Glut3 –through the protein CREB- and rate-limiting genes of glucose’s metabolism through the participation of the hypoxia1-induced factor (HIF-1α). According to the authors, “pharmacological and genetic manipulation of glucose’s metabolism in neurons –both in vitro and in vivo- affects neural morphology. Therefore, the study in The EMBO Journal could open new therapeutic ways for the treatment of disorders that are related to brain development”. The new study received funding from the Ministry of Economy, Industry and Competitiveness (MINECO), the European Regional Development Fund (ERDF), Ramón Areces Foundation and Tatiana Pérez de Guzman el Bueno Foundation.
