Hui-Chen Lu, Professor and Director of the Linda and Jack Gill Institute for Neuroscience at IU, alongside graduate students Sen Yang and Zhen Xian Niou, found that nicotinamide nucleotide adenylyl transferase 2, or NMNAT2, provides energy to axons independent of the mitochondria. It does this by propelling glycolysis, a process in which glucose is broken down to produce energy. This gives axons enough energy to carry out nerve impulses to the brain and other parts of the body, keeping them healthy and functional. The enzyme can play a critical role in fending off neurodegenerative diseases like ALS, Alzheimer’s, Huntington’s and Parkinson’s as people age.
The study can be found in Molecular Neurodegeneration.
“This new finding showcases the importance of neuron-intrinsic glycolysis in supporting axonal transport, essential for the establishment and maintenance of neuronal circuitry,” Lu said. “With this information, the next step could be designing drugs to target NMNAT2 to boost its expression or activity in pre-symptomatic stages of neurodegeneration.”