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Hormones in brain may explain how exercise improves metabolism
A collaboration between the USC Leonard Davis School of Gerontology and researchers in South Korea has shown how moderate exercise prompts cells in the hypothalamus, the small region within the brain that controls metabolism, to release a hormone called MOTS-c. MOTS-c is a small protein that is encoded in cells’ smaller mitochondrial genome, rather than the larger collection of genes in the nucleus, said Changhan David Lee, assistant professor of gerontology at the USC Leonard Davis School and co-senior author of the new study.
Mitochondria, while more commonly known as the energy-producing parts of cells, have in recent years been found to play much bigger roles in health and aging by providing instructions for cellular processes. Subsequent studies by Lee and his colleagues have shown how mitochondrial-encoded MOTS-c interacts with the nuclear genome and regulates cellular metabolism and stress responses.
Credit: Stephanie Kleinman/USC
A mitochondrial hormone expressed by cells deep in the brain appears to play a role in improving metabolism and fighting off obesity, according to a new study in mice.
A collaboration between the USC Leonard Davis School of Gerontology and researchers in South Korea has shown how moderate exercise prompts cells in the hypothalamus, the small region within the brain that controls metabolism, to release a hormone called MOTS-c. MOTS-c is a small protein that is encoded in cells smaller mitochondrial genome, rather than the larger collection of genes in the nucleus, said Changhan David Lee, assistant professor of gerontology at the USC Leonard Davis School and co-senior author of the new study.