Program in Integrative Cell Signalling and Neurobiology of Metabolism, Section of Comparative Medicine, Yale University School of Medicine, SHM L-200, PO Box 208074, New Haven, CT 06520-8074, USA.
Nat Rev Endocrinol. 2014 Nov;10(11):650-8. doi: 10.1038/nrendo.2014.160. Epub 2014 Sep 9.
The ability of an organism to convert organic molecules from the environment into energy is essential for the development of cellular structures, cell differentiation and growth. Mitochondria have a fundamental role in regulating metabolic pathways, and tight control of mitochondrial functions and dynamics is critical to maintaining adequate energy balance. In complex organisms, such as mammals, it is also essential that the metabolic demands of various tissues are coordinated to ensure that the energy needs of the whole body are effectively met. Within the arcuate nucleus of the hypothalamus, the NPY-AgRP and POMC neurons have a crucial role in orchestrating the regulation of hunger and satiety. Emerging findings from animal studies have revealed an important function for mitochondrial dynamics within these two neuronal populations, which facilitates the correct adaptive responses of the whole body to changes in the metabolic milieu. The main proteins implicated in these studies are the mitofusins, Mfn1 and Mfn2, which are regulators of mitochondrial dynamics. In this Review, we provide an overview of the mechanisms by which mitochondria are involved in the central regulation of energy balance and discuss the implications of mitochondrial dysfunction for metabolic disorders.
生物体将环境中的有机分子转化为能量的能力，对于细胞结构的发育、细胞分化和生长至关重要。线粒体在调节代谢途径方面起着基础性作用，对线粒体功能和动力学的严格控制对于维持充足的能量平衡至关重要。在哺乳动物等复杂生物体中，协调各种组织的代谢需求以确保有效满足全身的能量需求也是必不可少的。在下丘脑弓状核中，NPY-AgRP 和 POMC 神经元在协调饥饿和饱腹感的调节方面起着至关重要的作用。动物研究中的新发现揭示了线粒体动力学在这两个神经元群体中的重要功能，这有助于全身对代谢环境变化做出正确的适应性反应。这些研究中涉及的主要蛋白质是线粒体融合蛋白 Mfn1 和 Mfn2，它们是线粒体动力学的调节因子。在这篇综述中，我们概述了线粒体参与中枢能量平衡调节的机制，并讨论了线粒体功能障碍对代谢紊乱的影响。
