Neuronal back-up system discovered

(Bild: Pixabay CC0) - Researchers at MedUni Vienna have discovered that neurons have an emergency back-up system to enable them to remain functional even when their energy supply is disrupted. As in many areas of technology, an emergency back-up serves to compensate for any energy supply failures experienced by neurons. The results of the study have now appeared in the Journal of Neuroscience. In their preclinical studies, the research team led by Matej Hotka and Helmut Kubista from the Division of Neurophysiology and Neuropharmacology at MedUni Vienna's Center for Physiology and Pharmacology established that each neuron has three regulatory systems. If one of these systems fails, another one takes over and ensures that sufficient energy is supplied to meet the prevailing requirement. Specifically, the researchers identified the glycerol-3-phosphate shuttle system (G3PS) as an essential back-up. Until now, the existence of this biochemical transport mechanism in neurons has been questioned, because a different system (malate-aspartate shuttle, MAS) predominates there.