Energy batteries found in brain nerve cells

Neurons are capable of independently storing and using the carbohydrate glycogen - this helps them maintain brain function in stressful situations. This conclusion was reached by scientists from Yale University. The results of their work are published in the journal Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences (PNAS).

Previously, it was believed that energy reserves in the brain are stored exclusively in glial cells, which supply neurons with "fuel" as needed. However, new research has shown that neurons can also store energy and use it in atypical conditions, such as when oxygen is deficient.

"It's like finding out that your car is a hybrid: it not only refuels from the outside but also runs on an internal battery," noted study co-author Milind Singh from Yale School of Medicine.

The experiments were conducted on Caenorhabditis elegans roundworms using the fluorescent biosensor HYlight. This tool allows tracking sugar breakdown processes in real time. Scientists controlled oxygen levels to simulate metabolic stress and observed how neurons adapt to energy shortages.

The key discovery was the enzyme PYGL-1 - an analog of human glycogen phosphorylase, which converts glycogen into energy. Without it, worm neurons lost the ability to function during oxygen deficiency. Restoring the enzyme in neurons returned their ability to generate energy.

The authors called this phenomenon "glycogen-dependent glycolytic plasticity" - a mechanism that allows neurons to quickly switch to internal energy reserves in critical conditions. This mechanism is especially important when mitochondria - the main source of energy in cells - malfunction.

"Such flexibility may prove vital for preserving brain functions during stress and in diseases associated with metabolic disorders. This mechanism could also form the basis for new treatments for stroke and epilepsy," noted study leader Colón-Ramos.