Vanessa Morais Lab

Mitochondria Biology & Neurodegeneration

Mitochondria at the synapse have a pivotal role in neurotransmitter release, but almost nothing is known about synaptic mitochondria composition or specific functions. Synaptic mitochondria compared to mitochondria in other cells, need to cope with increased calcium load, more oxidative stress, and high demands of energy generation during synaptic activity. We aim to unravel how synaptic mitochondria have learnt to adapt to this environment, and how the disruption of these acquired mechanisms contributes to neurodegeneration.

More intriguing is the question how mitochondria sense their unhealthy status and decide whether their failure should lead to removal of the organelle or dismissal of the complete neuron via cell death. We anticipate that these decisions are not only operational during disease, but might constitute a fundamental mechanism relevant for maintenance of synaptic activity and establishment of new synapses. We plan to identify key players of the proposed regulatory pathways involved in intrinsic mitochondria quality control.

Mitochondrial dysfunction has been implicated in several neurodegenerative disorders, namely Parkinson’s Disease. Our work will unravel the specific properties of synaptic mitochondria and provide much needed insight in their hypothesized predominant role in neurodegeneration.