The hidden skeleton “gatekeeper” inside brain cells could help fight Alzheimer's
Researchers at Penn State have identified a protein structure called the membrane-associated periodic skeleton (MPS) that acts as a gatekeeper for endocytosis in brain cells. This discovery could provide new insights into how protein aggregation contributes to neurodegenerative diseases like Alzheimer's.
Why it matters
Understanding the cellular mechanisms of nutrient uptake may lead to new therapeutic targets for treating incurable brain diseases.
Brain cells continually pull material from the fluid around them, including nutrients, signaling molecules, and fragments of their own outer surfaces. This process, called endocytosis, supports learning, memory, and the routine maintenance of neurons.
Penn State researchers have now identified a previously unrecognized structure that may control much of this activity. The structure is a lattice located just beneath the surface of neurons and is known as the membrane-associated periodic skeleton, or MPS.
In findings published in Science Advances , the team showed that the MPS acts as a physical gatekeeper for nearly every major type of endocytosis. Built from repeating rings of proteins, the structure was already known to help neurons retain their shape. The new results indicate that it also plays a much more active role by controlling where and when substances enter the cell.
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