CERKL, a Retinal Dystrophy Gene, Regulates Mitochondrial Transport and Dynamics in Hippocampal Neurons.

ABSTRACT: Mutations in the Ceramide Kinase-like (CERKL) gene cause retinal dystrophies, characterized by progressive degeneration of retinal neurons, which eventually lead to vision loss. Among other functions, CERKL is involved in the regulation of autophagy, mitochondrial dynamics, and metabolism in the retina. However, CERKL is nearly ubiquitously expressed, and it has been recently described to play a protective role against brain injury. Here we show that Cerkl is expressed in the hippocampus, and we use mouse hippocampal neurons to explore the impact of either overexpression or depletion of CERKL on mitochondrial trafficking and dynamics along axons. We describe that a pool of CERKL localizes at mitochondria in hippocampal axons. Importantly, the depletion of CERKL

SUBMITTER: Garcia-Arroyo R 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC9570143 | biostudies-literature | 2022 Sep

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature