Researchers discover a new family of key mitochondrial proteins for the function and viability of the brain
A team from the Institute for Research in Biomedicine (IRB Barcelona) led by Eduardo Soriano, professor and director of the Department of Cell Biology of the UB, has published a study in the journal Nature Communications describing a new family of six genes that regulate the movement and position of mitochondria in neurons. It is a cluster of six genes that may be altered in neurological conditions, such as Parkinsonʼs and Charcot-Marie-Tooth disease, which are caused by alterations of genes that control mitochondrial transport, a process that provides the energy required for cell function. Jordi Garcia-Fernàndez, professor of the Department of Genetics and member of the Institute of Biomedicine of the University of Barcelona (IBUB), affiliated centre to the Barcelona Knowledge Campus (BKC), a health campus of international excellence, has also taken part in the study, among other authors.
A team from the Institute for Research in Biomedicine (IRB Barcelona) led by Eduardo Soriano, professor and director of the Department of Cell Biology of the UB, has published a study in the journal Nature Communications describing a new family of six genes that regulate the movement and position of mitochondria in neurons. It is a cluster of six genes that may be altered in neurological conditions, such as Parkinsonʼs and Charcot-Marie-Tooth disease, which are caused by alterations of genes that control mitochondrial transport, a process that provides the energy required for cell function. Jordi Garcia-Fernàndez, professor of the Department of Genetics and member of the Institute of Biomedicine of the University of Barcelona (IBUB), affiliated centre to the Barcelona Knowledge Campus (BKC), a health campus of international excellence, has also taken part in the study, among other authors.
By means of comparative genomic analyses, the scientific team has discovered that these genes are found only in more evolved mammals, the so-called eutharia, namely with internal fertilization and development. According to Eduardo Soriano, “this finding indicates the relevance of mitochondrial biology. When the brain evolved in size, function and structure, the mitochondrial transport process also became more complex and probably required additional regulatory mechanisms”. Jordi Garcia-Fernàndez adds that “likewise, given the origin of the gene cluster, in the transition between primitive mammals such as marsupials (kangaroos) and the other placental mammals, it is tempting to propose the hypothesis that its origin is linked to the increased complexity of the cerebral cortex in the evolutionary lineage that leads to humans”.
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