Neuronal warmth shock proteins (HSPs) are transmitted into glial cells by way of extracellular vesicles (EVs). TSP-6::GFP, an EV marker, is expressed in neurons. Credit score: Wu et al.
The human mind is comprised of two most important sorts of cells, often called neurons and glia. The primary are accountable for transmitting electrical and chemical indicators, whereas the latter assist and shield neurons.
The communication between neurons and glia is central to the event of the mind and the upkeep of its capabilities. Previous findings recommend that this communication takes place by way of the binding of ligands (i.e., signaling molecules) to particular proteins or receptors on the floor of a cell.
By learning Caenorhabditis elegans (C. elegans), generally often called roundworms, researchers at Duke College Medical Middle have unveiled a brand new mechanism that might mediate neuron-glia communications throughout growing old.
Their findings, revealed in Nature Neuroscience, recommend that warmth shock proteins (i.e., proteins that play a job in defending cells from stress) can act as signaling molecules and mediate communications between neurons and glia as worms age.
“The brain is primarily composed of neurons and glial cells,” Jieyu Wu, first writer of the paper, instructed Medical Xpress.
“In some brain regions, more than half of the cells are glial cells. Numerous studies have shown that neuron–glia interactions play a critical role in brain development and function. This raises an important question: how is neuron–glia communication involved in brain aging?”
Learning neuron-glia communication in reside organisms has to this point proved difficult, partly on account of an absence of animal fashions which are straightforward to look at within the lab, however that additionally mirror a number of the mechanisms noticed in people.
C. elegans has been discovered to be a very efficient mannequin for learning growing old processes, thus Wu and his colleagues determined to pick it for his or her experiments.
“After examining the entire nervous system of C. elegans, we identified the amphid sensory organ as a promising model to investigate neuron–glia communication during aging in vivo,” defined Wu.
“We used chemotaxis assays and calcium imaging to evaluate sensory neuron function. To regulate aging in specific neurons, we employed the auxin-inducible system to deplete key regulatory factors in the aging signaling pathway.”
As a part of their experiments, Wu and his colleagues captured the proteins current inside glial cells (i.e., the glial cell-specific proteome) beneath completely different circumstances in reside roundworms. As well as, they checked out how this proteome responded to the growing old of neurons.
Subsequently, the researchers used molecular biology strategies to change a number of the worms’ DNA/RNA. This allowed them to label particular proteins, making certain that they’d glow beneath the microscope and to scale back or totally silence the exercise of particular genes.
“Our study represents the first in vivo instance to show that protein transmission from neuron to glia through extracellular vesicles regulates brain aging,” stated Wu.
“Additionally, we revealed that heat shock proteins can act as signaling molecules to mediate neuron-glia communication and influence glial function. These findings offer a new model and open new possibilities for the study of neuron-glia communication.”
This examine affords new perception into the intricate neural mechanisms that might contribute to a decline or upkeep of mind perform throughout growing old.
The findings gathered by Wu and his colleagues may encourage additional analysis geared toward inspecting the distinctive contribution of warmth shock proteins to neuron-glia communication in additional depth.
“One of my future goals is to investigate the functional significance of extracellular vesicles in brain aging,” added Wu. “I am currently seeking an assistant professor position, with the intention of focusing my research on dissecting the biology of extracellular vesicles in the nervous system and elucidating their roles in brain aging.”
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Extra data:
Jieyu Wu et al, Warmth shock proteins perform as signaling molecules to mediate neuron–glia communication in C. elegans throughout growing old, Nature Neuroscience (2025). DOI: 10.1038/s41593-025-01989-0.
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