Abstract
Fatty acids (FAs) are of crucial importance for brain homeostasis and neural function. Glia cells support the high demand of FAs that the central nervous system (CNS) needs for its proper functioning. Additionally, FAs can modulate inflammation and direct CNS repair, thereby contributing to brain pathologies such Alzheimer’s disease or multiple sclerosis. Intervention strategies targeting FA synthesis in glia represents a potential therapeutic opportunity for several CNS diseases.
Highlights
The central nervous system (CNS) has an exceptionally high lipid content
These findings demonstrate that astrocyte-derived Fatty acids (FAs) are essential for the maintenance and function or the CNS and may even impact systemic metabolism
While SFA synthesis is suggested to favor inflammatory activation of microglia, polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFAs) biosynthesis promotes an anti-inflammatory phenotype, and monounsaturated fatty acids (MUFAs) synthesis seems to have a dual influence on the microglia phenotype which probably depends on the disease context
Summary
The central nervous system (CNS) has an exceptionally high lipid content. lipids constitute about half of the brain tissue dry weight, making it the second most lipid rich organ after adipose tissue [1]. Fatty acids (FA) are essential monomeric components that define the structural diversity of lipids and determine their functional properties in the CNS [2]. Astrocytes, oligodendrocytes and microglia are the major types of glial cells in the CNS [6]. Their main function is to sustain a homeostatic environment for neuronal circuits, providing structural or trophic support and controlling neuronal function and plasticity [7,8,9]. De novo synthesis occurs in mitochondria but this pathway closely resembles the prokaryotic FA synthesis pathway [23] This pathway has only one known product, lipoic acid, which functions as a cofactor for several important mitochondrial multienzyme complexes [24]
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