Year: 2014
Type: article
Abstract: Sarcopenia, muscle wasting, and strength decline with age, is an important cause of loss of mobility in the elderly individuals. The underlying mechanisms are uncertain but likely to involve defects of motor nerve, neuromuscular junction, and muscle. Loss of motor neurons with age and subsequent denervation of skeletal muscle has been recognized as one of the contributing factors. This study investigated aspects of mitochondrial biology in spinal motor neurons from elderly subjects. We found that protein components of complex I of mitochondrial respiratory chain were reduced or absent in a proportion of aged motor neurons-a phenomenon not observed in fetal tissue. Further investigation showed that complex I-deficient cells had reduced mitochondrial DNA content and smaller soma size. We propose that mitochondrial dysfunction in these motor neurons could lead to the cell loss and ultimately denervation of muscle fibers.
Source: Neurobiology of Aging
Language: English
Subfield: Molecular Biology
Domain: Life Sciences
Open Access status: hybrid
Estimated APC paid: $2,330
Funders: Wellcome Trust, National Institute for Health and Care Research, Multiple Sclerosis Society, Newcastle University, Coordenação de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de Nível Superior, Newcastle upon Tyne Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, Directorate for Biological Sciences, Medical Research Council, Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council, Biotechnology and Biological Sciences Research Council, Economic and Social Research Council, NIHR Newcastle Biomedical Research Centre, Wellcome Trust Centre for Mitochondrial Research
Awards: G1286920112, CIMA: The Centre for Integrated Research into Musculoskeletal Ageing, G2145339204, G239532143, MRC Wellcome Trust Human Developmental Biology Resource (HDBR), G2544693093, Mitochondrial DNA - expression, disease and treatment., Mitochondrial DNA - expression, disease and treatment., G4204252233, G5570099221, G6415384528, G7407740182, G7691820597, G8098233397, Virulence strategies for Mycobacterial persistence: Investigating the role of the Mammalian Cell entry proteins.
OpenAlex ID: W2069546567