Researchers have found that specific RNA particles in brain cells, called long-lived RNAs, can persist throughout an organisms life, playing a crucial function in preserving genome stability and offering insights into brain aging and possible treatments for neurodegenerative diseases.Neuroscientists at FAU have actually found that certain structure blocks in nerve cells can last a lifetime.Certain RNA molecules in the nerve cells in the brain last a life time without being renewed. “This is unexpected, as unlike DNA, which as a rule never ever alters, a lot of RNA molecules are very temporary and are constantly being exchanged,” Toda explains.In order to determine the life span of the RNA molecules, the Toda group worked together with the group from Prof. Dr. Martin Hetzer, a cell biologist at the Institute of Science and Technology Austria (ISTA). “We succeeded in marking the RNAs with fluorescent particles and tracking their lifespan in mice brain cells,” explains Tomohisa Toda, who has unique knowledge in epigenetics and neurobiology and who was granted an ERC Consolidator Grant for his research in 2023.
Scientists have actually discovered that certain RNA molecules in brain cells, called long-lived RNAs, can continue throughout an organisms life, playing an important function in preserving genome stability and offering insights into brain aging and possible therapies for neurodegenerative diseases.Neuroscientists at FAU have found that certain structure blocks in afferent neuron can last a lifetime.Certain RNA molecules in the nerve cells in the brain last a life time without being renewed. Neuroscientists from Friedrich-Alexander-Universität Erlangen-Nürnberg (FAU) have actually now demonstrated that this holds true together with scientists from Germany, Austria and the USA. RNAs are typically short-lived molecules that are constantly reconstructed to adapt to ecological conditions.With their findings that have actually now been released in the journal Science, the research group wishes to decipher the complex aging process of the brain and gain a much better understanding of associated degenerative diseases.Most cells in the body are regularly renewed, consequently retaining their vigor. However, there are exceptions: the heart, the pancreas and the brain consist of cells that do not restore throughout the entire life-span, and yet still have to stay completely working order. “Aging neurons are an essential threat aspect for neurodegenerative diseases such as Alzheimers,” states Prof. Dr. Tomohisa Toda, Professor of Neural Epigenomics at FAU and at limit Planck Center for Physics and Medicine in Erlangen. “A basic understanding of the aging process and which essential elements are associated with preserving cell function is important for efficient treatment principles.” Discovery of Long-Lived RNAsIn a joint study performed together with neuroscientists from Dresden, La Jolla (USA), and Klosterneuburg (Austria), the working group led by Toda has now determined an essential part of brain aging: the researchers had the ability to demonstrate for the first time that specific types of ribonucleic acid (RNA) that secure hereditary product exist just as long as the neurons themselves. “This is surprising, as unlike DNA, which as a rule never changes, the majority of RNA molecules are very short-term and are continuously being exchanged,” Toda explains.In order to identify the life span of the RNA particles, the Toda group collaborated with the team from Prof. Dr. Martin Hetzer, a cell biologist at the Institute of Science and Technology Austria (ISTA). “We was successful in marking the RNAs with fluorescent molecules and tracking their life expectancy in mice brain cells,” describes Tomohisa Toda, who has distinct knowledge in epigenetics and neurobiology and who was granted an ERC Consolidator Grant for his research in 2023. “We were even able to identify the significant long-lived RNAs in two-year-old animals, and not just in their nerve cells, but likewise in somatic adult neural stem cells in the brain.” In addition, the scientists discovered that the long-lived RNAs, that they referred to as LL-RNA for short, tend to be found in the cells nuclei, closely connected to chromatin, a complex of DNA and proteins that forms chromosomes. This shows that LL-RNA plays an essential function in regulating chromatin. In order to verify this hypothesis, the team minimized the concentration of LL-RNA in an in-vitro explore adult neural stem cell models, with the result that the integrity of the chromatin was strongly impaired.” We are encouraged that LL-RNAs play an important function in the long-term regulation of genome stability and for that reason in the life-long preservation of afferent neuron,” discusses Tomohisa Toda. “Future research study tasks need to provide a much deeper insight into the biophysical mechanisms behind the long-lasting conservation of LL-RNAs. We want to discover out more about their biological function in chromatin policy and what result aging has on all these systems.” Reference: “Lifelong perseverance of nuclear RNAs in the mouse brain” by Sara Zocher, Asako McCloskey, Anne Karasinsky, Roberta Schulte, Ulrike Friedrich, Mathias Lesche, Nicole Rund, Fred H. Gage, Martin W. Hetzer and Tomohisa Toda, 4 April 2024, Science.DOI: 10.1126/ science.adf3481.
