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Protein Linked to Sex Differences in Age-Related Neuron Loss
It is not every day that scientists come across a phenomenon so fundamental that it is observed across fruit flies, rodents and humans.
In a paper published today in Aging Cell, neuroscientists from the University of Pittsburgh Schools of the Health Sciences discovered that a single protein a glutamate transporter on the membrane of vesicles that carry dopamine in neurons is key to regulating sex differences in the brain’s vulnerability to age-related neuron loss.
The protein named VGLUT was more abundant in dopamine neurons of female fruit flies, rodents and human beings than in males, correlating with females’ greater resilience to age-related neuron loss and mobility deficiencies, the researchers found. Excitingly, genetically reducing VGLUT levels in female flies diminished their protection from neurodegeneration associated with aging, suggesting that VGLUT could be a new target for prolonging dopamin