How energy determines spatial localisation and copy number of molecules in neurons
Abstract In neurons, the quantities of mRNAs and proteins are traditionally assumed to be determined by functional, electrical or genetic factors. Yet, there may also be global, currently unknown computational rules that are valid across different molecular species inside a cell. Surprisingly, our r...
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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Nature Portfolio
2025-02-01
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| Series: | Nature Communications |
| Online Access: | https://doi.org/10.1038/s41467-025-56640-0 |
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| author | Cornelius Bergmann Kanaan Mousaei Silvio O. Rizzoli Tatjana Tchumatchenko |
| author_facet | Cornelius Bergmann Kanaan Mousaei Silvio O. Rizzoli Tatjana Tchumatchenko |
| author_sort | Cornelius Bergmann |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Abstract In neurons, the quantities of mRNAs and proteins are traditionally assumed to be determined by functional, electrical or genetic factors. Yet, there may also be global, currently unknown computational rules that are valid across different molecular species inside a cell. Surprisingly, our results show that the energy for molecular turnover is a significant cellular expense, en par with spiking cost, and which requires energy-saving strategies. We show that the drive to save energy determines transcript quantities and their location while acting differently on each molecular species depending on the length, longevity and other features of the respective molecule. We combined our own data and experimental reports from five other large-scale mRNA and proteomics screens, comprising more than ten thousand molecular species to reveal the underlying computational principles of molecular localisation. We found that energy minimisation principles explain experimentally-reported exponential rank distributions of mRNA and protein copy numbers. Our results further reveal robust energy benefits when certain mRNA classes are moved into dendrites, for example mRNAs of proteins with long amino acid chains or mRNAs with large non-coding regions and long half-lives proving surprising insights at the level of molecular populations. |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj-art-bc592d6267264c2f8cf342a2aee85e36 |
| institution | Kabale University |
| issn | 2041-1723 |
| language | English |
| publishDate | 2025-02-01 |
| publisher | Nature Portfolio |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Nature Communications |
| spelling | doaj-art-bc592d6267264c2f8cf342a2aee85e362025-02-09T12:43:59ZengNature PortfolioNature Communications2041-17232025-02-0116111510.1038/s41467-025-56640-0How energy determines spatial localisation and copy number of molecules in neuronsCornelius Bergmann0Kanaan Mousaei1Silvio O. Rizzoli2Tatjana Tchumatchenko3Institute of Experimental Epileptology and Cognition Research, Medical Faculty, University of BonnInstitute of Experimental Epileptology and Cognition Research, Medical Faculty, University of BonnDepartment for Neuro- and Sensory Physiology, University Medical Center Göttingen Center for Biostructural Imaging of NeurodegenerationInstitute of Experimental Epileptology and Cognition Research, Medical Faculty, University of BonnAbstract In neurons, the quantities of mRNAs and proteins are traditionally assumed to be determined by functional, electrical or genetic factors. Yet, there may also be global, currently unknown computational rules that are valid across different molecular species inside a cell. Surprisingly, our results show that the energy for molecular turnover is a significant cellular expense, en par with spiking cost, and which requires energy-saving strategies. We show that the drive to save energy determines transcript quantities and their location while acting differently on each molecular species depending on the length, longevity and other features of the respective molecule. We combined our own data and experimental reports from five other large-scale mRNA and proteomics screens, comprising more than ten thousand molecular species to reveal the underlying computational principles of molecular localisation. We found that energy minimisation principles explain experimentally-reported exponential rank distributions of mRNA and protein copy numbers. Our results further reveal robust energy benefits when certain mRNA classes are moved into dendrites, for example mRNAs of proteins with long amino acid chains or mRNAs with large non-coding regions and long half-lives proving surprising insights at the level of molecular populations.https://doi.org/10.1038/s41467-025-56640-0 |
| spellingShingle | Cornelius Bergmann Kanaan Mousaei Silvio O. Rizzoli Tatjana Tchumatchenko How energy determines spatial localisation and copy number of molecules in neurons Nature Communications |
| title | How energy determines spatial localisation and copy number of molecules in neurons |
| title_full | How energy determines spatial localisation and copy number of molecules in neurons |
| title_fullStr | How energy determines spatial localisation and copy number of molecules in neurons |
| title_full_unstemmed | How energy determines spatial localisation and copy number of molecules in neurons |
| title_short | How energy determines spatial localisation and copy number of molecules in neurons |
| title_sort | how energy determines spatial localisation and copy number of molecules in neurons |
| url | https://doi.org/10.1038/s41467-025-56640-0 |
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