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0:00
My name is
Helle Waagepetersen.
I'm the head of the
NeuroMetabolism Research Unit,
and Department of Drug
Design and Pharmacology
of the University of Copenhagen.
The title of my talk is
"Energy and Amino Acid
Neurotransmitter
Metabolism in Astrocytes."
0:16
Astrocytes are central in the
maintenance of particularly
glutamate homeostasis in
the brain, but they are also
essential players in
brain energy metabolism.
The first part of my talk will
focus on glutamate homeostasis,
shuttling the metabolites
between neurons and astrocytes,
and glutamate metabolism
in astrocytes.
I will cover the
Glutamate-Glutamine cycle,
with focus on carbon homeostasis,
and nitrogen homeostasis,
also anaplerosis and
de-novo glutamine synthesis.
And next glutamate oxidation,
focusing on mitochodrial transport
and metabolism, the
truncated TCA-cycle, GDH,
and pyruvate recycling.
And some experimental
guidance, how to investigate
glutamate metabolism.
The second part of my talk will
be on how astrocytes are involved
in energy metabolism,
as lactate transferred
between neurons and
astrocytes, and glycogen.
This is an essential energy source,
which is coupled to brain function.
1:13
Glutamate is released from
the presynaptic neuron,
and interacts with
postsynaptic receptors,
and diffuses away from
the synaptic cleft,
with the surrounding
astrocytes, which are equipped
with an efficient machinery to
take up glutamate, primarily
via the high affinity glutamate
transporters, GLT1 and GLAST.
1:32
Neurons do not have the
appropriate enzymatic machinery
to provide anaplerosis, meaning
de-novo synthesis of glutamate
from the precursor glucose.
Thus, glutamate that is
taken up by the astrocyte
needs to be returned to the neuron.
