Muscle over mind

Hyo Youl Moon; Henriette van Praag

doi:10.1016/j.cmet.2014.09.012

Muscle over mind

Cell Metab. 2014 Oct 7;20(4):560-2. doi: 10.1016/j.cmet.2014.09.012.

Authors

Hyo Youl Moon¹, Henriette van Praag²

Affiliations

¹ Neuroplasticity and Behavior Unit, Laboratory of Neurosciences, National Institute on Aging, National Institutes of Health, Baltimore, Maryland 21224, USA.
² Neuroplasticity and Behavior Unit, Laboratory of Neurosciences, National Institute on Aging, National Institutes of Health, Baltimore, Maryland 21224, USA. Electronic address: vanpraagh@mail.nih.gov.

Abstract

Depression is associated with elevated kynurenine levels, a tryptophan metabolite generated under stress and inflammatory conditions. Agudelo et al. (2014) now reveal how PGC-1α1 overexpression in muscle mimics anti-depressant effects of exercise by promoting kynurenine aminotransferase expression, likely preventing kynurenine from crossing the blood brain barrier to disrupt neural plasticity.

Publication types

Research Support, N.I.H., Intramural
Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't
Comment

MeSH terms

Animals
Depression / prevention & control*
Humans
Kynurenine / metabolism*
Muscle, Skeletal / enzymology*
Stress, Psychological / complications*
Transcription Factors / metabolism*

Substances

Transcription Factors
Kynurenine

Grants and funding

Z99 AG999999/Intramural NIH HHS/United States