Andy Dillin, PhD
HHMI Investigator
Professor
University of California, Berkeley
Host(s): Bianca Corjuc (Graduate Student), Kapil Ramachandran (Faculty)
CNS control of peripheral mitochondrial form and function: Mitokines
My laboratory has made an intriguing discovery that mitochondrial stress in one tissue can be communicated to distal tissues. We find that mitochondrial stress in the nervous system triggers the production of entities known as "mitokines". These mitokines are discharged from the nervous system, orchestrating a response in peripheral tissues that extends the lifespan of C. elegans. The revelation came as a surprise, given the prevalent belief that cell autonomous mechanisms would underlie the relationship between mitochondrial function and aging. It was also surprising given the prevailing dogma that mitochondrial function must be increased, not decreased, to improve health and longevity. Our work also underscores the fact that mitochondria, which originated as a microbial entity and later evolved into an intracellular symbiont, have retained their capacity for intercommunication, now facilitated by signals from the nervous system. We hypothesize that this communication has evolved as a mechanism to reduce infection from pathogens.
Relevant Publications:
The cell-non-autonomous nature of electron transport chain-mediated longevity
Venue Information:
Speaker Location: Jerome L. Greene Science Center, Kavli Auditorium, 9th Floor Lecture Hall
The Columbia Neuroscience Seminars have been organized to help build community and collaboration among researchers interested in this broad field across campus. The in-person activities, including the talks, provide meaningful interactions for the speakers, many of whom have traveled a long way to visit Columbia. However, if you are a Columbia researcher on another campus and are unable to attend the talk at the Jerome L. Greene Science Center, please email [email protected] at least 48 hours in advance to request an individual, one-time Zoom link (livestream only, no Q&A).
If you have a short- or long-term accommodation request (medical issue, travel, other concerns, etc.), or any other questions, please also reach out to [email protected].
Tuesdays@10 is a signature Zuckerman Institute initiative that aims to expose researchers at all levels to high-quality science and stimulate scientific discourse. The speakers featured in this series represent various fields and techniques in neuroscience, and include invited guests of the Columbia Neuroscience Seminars, the Zuckerman Institute's Local Circuits Affiliates Program, and other special seminar series through a combined, collaborative effort of one or more of the following: Columbia's Zuckerman Institute, the Center for Precision Psychiatry, the Department of Neuroscience, the Doctoral Program in Neurobiology and Behavior and the Columbia Translational Neuroscience Initiative, and with support from the Kavli Institute for Brain Science.
More information and a full schedule can be found here.