Barron lab @NTU_LKCMedicine @NTUsg Neuroscience lab studying #mitochondria #metabolism #microglia #aging and #Alzheimers
Singapore
Joined May 2020
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We developed an optogenetic strategy to remove hexokinase-2 from the mitochondria in living cells to test this. Using this, we could spur microglia into clean-up mode with a flick of the light switch !💡
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ALT Mitochondrial hexokinase-2 displacement inhibits glycolysis and improves phagocytosis in cultured TSPO knockout microglia. Fairley et al. (2023) PNAS. 120(8):e2209177120. doi: 10.1073/pnas.2209177120.
These damaged microglia relied on glycolysis 🍬 for energy⚡.
The switch to glycolysis was controlled by binding of the glucose metabolizing enzyme, hexokinase-2, to the energy-producing 🏭 part of the cell, mitochondria.
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ALT Heatmap showing the sugar metabolizing enzyme, hexokinase-2, stuck all over the mitochondria of the brain immune cells, microglia. Image credit: Kei Onn Lai.
The immune cells of the brain, #microglia, need a lot of energy 💪 to clean up toxic waste ☠️ that can lead to #alzheimers 🧠
How is this fueled? 🔥
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ALT Microglia (green) cluster around and infiltrate into lesions formed by the build up of toxic beta amyloid (red). Image credit: Anselm Vincent.