Luigi Puglielli working in the lab. Credit: Clint Thayer, UW-Madison School of Medicine and Public Health Department of Medicine
A new mouse model is the first to show that when more of acetyl-CoA moves between different parts of nerve cells in the mouse brain, it can lead to behaviors that resembles some aspects of autism spectrum disorder (ASD) in humans. Acetyl-CoA, is a major part of the process cells use to make energy from food. It’s also used within cells to tag different proteins, which influences where and how they function. Local concentrations of acetyl-CoA and its movement, or flux, between different areas within cells is tightly regulated.
“We show, for the very first time, that changes in acetyl-CoA flux, and not just changes in its levels, in individual neurons can affect ne...
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