Poster abstracts
Poster number 17 submitted by Hayley Barta
Unraveling the role of glucocorticoids in mitophagy inhibition
Hayley Barta (Molecular, Cellular, and Developmental Biology Graduate Program), Nataliia Vasileva, Samhita Chaudhuri (Department of Physiology and Cell Biology, The Ohio State University), Samhita Chaudhuri (Department of Physiology and Cell Biology, The Ohio State University), Kangxuan Chen (Department of Physiology and Cell Biology, The Ohio State University), Nuo Sun (Department of Physiology and Cell Biology, The Ohio State University)
Abstract:
Prolonged psychological stress worsens outcomes in age-related pathologies such as neurodegenerative diseases and cardiovascular diseases. Stress-induced exacerbation of these pathologies is often linked to dysregulation of the HPA axis, a key neuroendocrine system that governs physiological responses to stress. Overactivation of the HPA axis disrupts the feedback regulation of glucocorticoids (GCs) such as the stress hormone cortisol, leading to sustained elevation of GC levels in the bloodstream. Our research demonstrates that cortisol inhibits mitophagy, a critical molecular quality control mechanism responsible for the clearance of damaged mitochondria. Given the essential role of mitochondria in energy production, impaired mitophagy is closely associated with the progression of various diseases. However, the specific molecular pathways through which cortisol influences mitophagy remain poorly understood. In this study, we reveal that cortisol modulates mitophagy by altering lactate inter- and intra- cellular dynamics. These findings provide new insights into the complex role of stress hormones in mitophagy regulation, shedding light on potential avenues for therapeutic intervention.
Keywords: Glucocorticoids, Mitophagy, Aging