Research summary
Mitochondria produce most of the energy that cells use. In fact, they are so important that any change in their function can lead to a variety of health problems, including metabolic disease, neurodegenerative disease and cancer. Kinases (proteins that function as enzymes) can quickly change mitochondrial activity. They can slightly alter the structure of their targets and, in so doing, change their properties and functions.
Dr. Étienne Hébert-Chatelain, Canada Research Chair in Mitochondrial Signalling and Pathophysiology, is determining how a specific type of kinase affects the architecture and activity of mitochondria. Using living models, he and his research team are targeting the kinase inside neurons and astrocytes (cells found in the brain and spinal cord) and discovering how it regulates brain metabolism and behaviour. They aim to better understand the mechanistic details behind the metabolic diversity in neurons and astrocytes and determine how mitochondria control higher brain functions.