Abstract
The grey and white matter regions of the mammalian brain consist of both neurons and neuroglial cells. Among the neuroglia, the two macroglia oligodendrocytes and astrocytes are the most abundant cell types. While the major function of oligodendrocytes is the formation of the lipid-rich myelin structure, the heterogeneous group of astrocytes fulfils a multitude of important roles in cerebral development and homeostasis. Brain lipid homeostasis involves the synthesis of a specific cerebral lipidome by local lipid metabolism. In this study we have investigated the fatty acid uptake and lipid biosynthesis in grey and white matter regions of the murine brain. Key findings were: (i) white matter oligodendrocytes and astrocytes take up saturated and unsaturated fatty acids, (ii) different grey matter regions show varying lipid labelling intensities, (iii) the medial habenula, an epithalamic grey matter structure, and the oligodendrocytes and astrocytes therein are targeted by fatty acids, and (iv) in the medial habenula, the neutral lipid containing lipid droplets are found in cells facing the ventricle but undetectable in the habenular parenchyma. Our data indicate a role for oligodendrocytes and astrocytes in local lipid metabolism of white and grey matter regions in the brain.
Highlights
The lipid pool of the mammalian brain is partially separated from that of the body by the action of barrier structures such as the blood-brain barrier[1,2,3]
This study aims to investigate the local fatty acid metabolism and trafficking in grey and white matter of the mouse brain in a comparative manner using the in situ system of acute brain slices and in vivo approaches
The present study aimed at investigating the lipid metabolism in selected murine grey and white matter structures in order to explore the macroglial involvement in local lipid processing
Summary
The lipid pool of the mammalian brain is partially separated from that of the body by the action of barrier structures such as the blood-brain barrier[1,2,3]. Detailed knowledge on the mammalian intra-cerebral lipid transport is lacking, but a brain-specific pool of lipoproteins is involved[8, 9]. These lipoproteins are widely expressed in the brain and their role for local cholesterol transport is well-established[10]. Oligodendrocytes are a dominant cell type of white matter As they produce the lipid-rich myelin, these macroglial cells likely possess a high capacity for de novo lipid synthesis. The goal was to (1) determine whether saturated and unsaturated fatty acids are differentially processed by grey and white matter, (2) identify the involved macroglial cells and elucidate their role in lipid processing, and (3) subsequently validate selected findings from the in situ system in an in vivo setup
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