Glycogen homeostasis and mitochondrial DNA expression require motor neuron to muscle TGF-β/Activin signaling in Drosophila.

ABSTRACT: Maintaining metabolic homeostasis requires coordinated nutrient utilization between intracellular organelles and across multiple organ systems. Many organs rely heavily on mitochondria to generate (ATP) from glucose, or stored glycogen. Proteins required for ATP generation are encoded in both nuclear and mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA). We show that motoneuron to muscle signaling by the TGFβ/Activin family member Actβ positively regulates glycogen levels during Drosophila development. Remarkably, we find that levels of stored glycogen are unaffected by altering cytoplasmic glucose catabolism. Instead, loss of Actβ reduces levels of nuclearly encoded genes required for mtDNA replication, transcription, and translation and mtDNA levels. Direct RNAi knockdown of nuclearly encoded mtDNA expre

SUBMITTER: Bretscher H 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC11754121 | biostudies-literature | 2025 Jan

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature