Neuroenergetics: Importance of transport for the regulation of energy substrate fluxes in brain cells

Description

Background: Brain cells were shown to rely on two energy subtrates to sustain their activity: glucose and lactate. Each of these substrates are taken up by brain cells via specific transporters and metabolized in classical biochemical pathways. The critical question remains: Between metabolism and transport, what is the limiting step for the utilization of each energy substrate under resting vs. activated condition?

Goal: The goal of the project is to determine whether transport of the main energy substrates for the brain, glucose and lactate, can become rate-limiting following an increase in cerebral activity.

Mathematical tools: The student will learn to use a mathematical software (Matlab) in order to conduct simulations from a given set of parameters and equations derived from Michaelis-Menten kinetics.

Biological or Medical aspects: The “biology supervisor” will provide background of the main aspects related to brain energy metabolism and Michaelis-Menten kinetics.

Supervisors: Luc Pellerin & Aitana Morton de Lachapelle

Students: Elita Idrizi, Celine Pattaroni & Jennifer Tscherrig

Reference: <biblio>#barros pmid=15749163</biblio>

Outline

1st meeting: Fr. 27/2/09 (Luc Pellerin & Aitana Morton de Lachapelle)

• Biological introduction + literature to read. Discussion of the goals of the project.

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2nd meeting: Fr. 6/3/09 (Luc Pellerin & Aitana Morton de Lachapelle)

• Introduction to derivatives, ordinary differential equations and analytical vs numerical resolution.
• Glucose metabolism: irreversible Michaelis-Menten kinetics.
• Graphical representation of the metabolic flux as a function of neuronal glucose, in Matlab.

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3rd meeting: Fr. 13/3/09 (Aitana Morton de Lachapelle)

• Glucose transport: reversible Michaelis-Menten kinetics.
• Graphical representation of the net transport- and metabolic fluxes as a function of neuronal glucose, in Matlab.
• Discussion on whether transport and/or metabolism are rate-limiting for glucose consumption by the neurons.

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4th meeting: Fr. 20/3/09 (Aitana Morton de Lachapelle)

• Exercises on Matlab to solve ordinary differential equations numerically.
• Outline of the mid-term presentation.

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5th meeting: Fr. 27/3/09 (Luc Pellerin & Aitana Morton de Lachapelle)

• Discussion of the paper by Barros et al. barros.
• Small visit of the Physiology Institute to have an overview of the experimental techniques used (group of Luc Pellerin)
• Preparation of the mid-term presentation.

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6th meeting - Midterm presentation: Fr. 3/4/09 Media:Neuroenergetics_midterm_presentation.ppt

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(Project in Course: "Solving Biological Problems that require Math")

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