Wednesday Colloquia

Serotonin - Boosting the Brain's Power Plants

by Prof. Vidita Vaidya (Tata Institute of Fundamental Research)

Wednesday, November 27, 2019 from to (Asia/Kolkata)
at Lecture Theatre ( AG-66 )
TIFR
Description
Serotonin is an important neurotransmitter in our brain that controls our mood and feelings of happiness. However, this molecule has been around long before there were mammals, or brains as we know them and the emotions we link it to. We’ve only recently learnt that this evolutionarily ancient molecule probably had other functions before it got coopted to play its neurotransmitter role. In my talk I will discuss the collaborative work between the Vaidya and Kolthur laboratories that has identified one such moonlighting job of serotonin, which is to increase the production, efficiency and function of neuronal mitochondria (the brain's power plants). We will also discuss how this finding has implications for a key role for serotonin in neuronal health and function.

References:

1. Fanibunda et al., Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, 2019, 116, 11028-11037; DOI: 10.1073/pnas.1821332116