Cholesterol in the brain
Brain activities like learning and memory require continuous remodelling of brain nerve cell connections as they respond to neural activity. Since 25 % of the body's total cholesterol resides in the brain, scientists believe that this lipid is involved with these changes in brain function. The EU-funded SYNAPTOCHOL (Role of cholesterol in neurotransmitter receptor trafficking and synaptic plasticity) project sought to determine whether cholesterol has a role in brain function, specifically in the development of neurological diseases. SYNAPTOCHOL developed genetic tools to manipulate cholesterol levels in neurons, which are brain cells that use electrical and chemical signals to process and transmit information. Since brain ageing is associated with a decrease in neuron cholesterol levels, researchers looked at the effects of removing cholesterol from living neural cells. Information is transmitted between neural cells by chemicals known as neurotransmitters, which bind to protein receptors embedded in the neural cell surface. SYNAPTOCHOL found that removing cholesterol triggered the incorporation of new neurotransmitter-binding receptors in neuronal cells, resulting in increased signal transmission. Receptors were delivered to neural cells by proteins that transport molecules between cells, and other proteins that control the life cycle of cells. Together, SYNAPTOCHOL's results indicate a dynamic interplay between cholesterol levels, neural receptor transport, and changes in brain structure and function. By linking cholesterol fluctuations to changes in brain activity, this work will help pinpoint cholesterol's role in neurodegenerative diseases like Alzheimer's.
Keywords
Cholesterol, brain, Alzheimer's, neurotransmitter, synaptic plasticity, neurodegenerative
