Speaker: Anamika Agrawal, UCSD
Title: Mitochondrial organization in neurons: interplay of dynamics and morphology
Transport in biological systems caters to several spatial and temporal constraints and demands. Neurons, consisting of a small cell body and several extended projections, present a challenging terrain for transport processes. One such important transport problem is that of mitochondrial organization in neurons. Mitochondria, produced at the soma, are shuttled out to distant sites to fulfill the extensive energy demands of a neuron. Their distribution needs to be optimal as well as robust to intracellular changes in demand. Defects in mitochondrial transport and maintenance are associated with several neurological disorders.In my talk, I will focus on three major aspects of mitochondrial organization that are vital for neuronal function. Firstly, I will talk about the ability of mitochondria to respond to local changes in energy demand through transport and reorganization. Then, I will turn to the question of how a healthy population of mitochondria can be maintained across interspersed demand sites in neurons, through interaction dynamics and selective turnover. Finally, I will talk about the interplay of mitochondrial transport and dendritic architecture towards maintaining equitable mitochondrial densities. Overall, I will show that mitochondrial dynamics are coupled to the diverse morphological properties of neurons in a way that optimizes mitochondrial distributions for metabolic availability and flexibility.
