Single protein could be a new target for delaying onset of aging symptoms in the brain 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.