title: Neurons have an active glycogen metabolism that contributes to tolerance to hypoxia.
abstract: Glycogen is present in the brain, where it has been found mainly in glial cells but not in neurons. Therefore, all physiologic roles of brain glycogen have been attributed exclusively to astrocytic glycogen. Working with primary cultured neurons, as well as with genetically modified mice and flies, here we report that-against general belief-neurons contain a low but measurable amount of glycogen. Moreover, we also show that these cells express the brain isoform of glycogen phosphorylase, allowing glycogen to be fully metabolized. Most importantly, we show an active neuronal glycogen metabolism that protects cultured neurons from hypoxia-induced death and flies from hypoxia-induced stupor. Our findings change the current view of the role of glycogen in the brain and reveal that endogenous neuronal glycogen metabolism participates in the neuronal tolerance to hypoxic stress.
authors.affiliation: 1] Institute for Research in Biomedicine (IRB Barcelona), Barcelona, Spain [2] Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, University of Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain.
authors.forename: Isabel
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Saez
authors.affiliation: 1] Institute for Research in Biomedicine (IRB Barcelona), Barcelona, Spain [2] Centro de Investigación Biomédica en Red de Diabetes y Enfermedades Metabólicas Asociadas (CIBERDEM), Barcelona, Spain.
authors.forename: Jordi
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Duran
authors.affiliation: Institute for Research in Biomedicine (IRB Barcelona), Barcelona, Spain.
authors.forename: Christopher
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Sinadinos
authors.affiliation: 1] Metabolomics Platform, CIBERDEM, Reus, Spain [2] Center for Omic Sciences (COS), Universitat Rovira i Virgili, Reus, Spain [3] Institut d'Investigació Biomédica Pere Virgili (IISPV), Reus, Spain.
authors.forename: Antoni
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Beltran
authors.affiliation: 1] Centro de Investigación Biomédica en Red de Diabetes y Enfermedades Metabólicas Asociadas (CIBERDEM), Barcelona, Spain [2] Metabolomics Platform, CIBERDEM, Reus, Spain [3] Center for Omic Sciences (COS), Universitat Rovira i Virgili, Reus, Spain [4] Institut d'Investigació Biomédica Pere Virgili (IISPV), Reus, Spain.
authors.forename: Oscar
authors.initials: O
authors.lastname: Yanes
authors.affiliation: Institute for Research in Biomedicine (IRB Barcelona), Barcelona, Spain.
authors.forename: María F
authors.initials: MF
authors.lastname: Tevy
authors.affiliation: Institute for Research in Biomedicine (IRB Barcelona), Barcelona, Spain.
authors.forename: Carlos
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Martínez-Pons
authors.affiliation: 1] Institute for Research in Biomedicine (IRB Barcelona), Barcelona, Spain [2] Institució Catalana de Recerca i Estudis Avançats (ICREA), Barcelona, Spain.
authors.forename: Marco
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Milán
authors.affiliation: 1] Institute for Research in Biomedicine (IRB Barcelona), Barcelona, Spain [2] Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, University of Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain [3] Centro de Investigación Biomédica en Red de Diabetes y Enfermedades Metabólicas Asociadas (CIBERDEM), Barcelona, Spain.
authors.forename: Joan J
authors.initials: JJ
authors.lastname: Guinovart
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D015687:Cell Hypoxia / Q000235:genetics; D002478:Cells, Cultured; D015971:Gene Expression Regulation, Enzymologic / Q000235:genetics; D006003:Glycogen / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D025002:Glycogen Phosphorylase, Brain Form / Q000096:biosynthesis / Q000235:genetics; D051379:Mice; D008822:Mice, Transgenic; D009419:Nerve Tissue Proteins / Q000096:biosynthesis / Q000235:genetics; D009474:Neurons / Q000166:cytology / Q000378:metabolism*
chemical_list: D009419:Nerve Tissue Proteins; D006003:Glycogen; D025002:Glycogen Phosphorylase, Brain Form