Mitochondrial dynamics in CNS health and disease

Mitochondria are tiny power stations within cells that generate much of the energy required for neurons to communicate with each other at synapses. Mitochondria can also also take up calcium ions and therefore regulate signalling. Brain cells use motors to transport mitochondria along tracks to distant synapses where they are needed for energy production and calcium buffering. We propose to better understand how mitochondria are moved around cells and anchored when they arrive at their destination. How the mitochondria go on to regulate the synaptic connections when they get there is another key question. The transport and function of mitochondria also goes wrong in a number of neurological disorders including Alzheimer's and Parkinson's diseases but it's unclear how this makes neurones unhealthy. So we also plan to better understand how disrupted mitochondrial transport and tethering can lead to neuronal pathology and death.