AMPK hyperactivation promotes dendrite retraction, synaptic loss, and neuronal dysfunction in glaucoma.

ABSTRACT:

Background

The maintenance of complex dendritic arbors and synaptic transmission are processes that require a substantial amount of energy. Bioenergetic decline is a prominent feature of chronic neurodegenerative diseases, yet the signaling mechanisms that link energy stress with neuronal dysfunction are poorly understood. Recent work has implicated energy deficits in glaucoma, and retinal ganglion cell (RGC) dendritic pathology and synapse disassembly are key features of ocular hypertension damage.

Results

We show that adenosine monophosphate-activated protein kinase (AMPK), a conserved energy biosensor, is strongly activated in RGC from mice with ocular hypertension and patients with primary open angle glaucoma. Our data demonstrate that AMPK triggers RGC dendrite retracti

SUBMITTER: Belforte N 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC8243567 | biostudies-literature | 2021 Jun

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature