Biological complexity: cell sugar, fat traffic control (Introduction)

by David Turell , Friday, April 24, 2020, 22:37 (1674 days ago) @ David Turell

Controls what happens with too much or too little to eat:

https://medicalxpress.com/news/2020-04-traffic-officer-protein-sugarfat-conversion.html

"Scientists in Texas and Pennsylvania have identified a protein sensor that restricts how much sugar and fat our cells convert into energy during periods of starvation.

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"'We want to offer, in the future, a solution to the metabolic crisis faced by millions of people across the world," Dr. Muniswamy said. "Millions of people consume too much food, while millions of others are in poverty and subsist on too little food. We are studying what happens at the molecular level in both situations with a goal of developing a drug to intervene."

"Our bodies continuously move things from cell to cell with what are sort of like roadways and cars. The vehicle required for fat and sugar conversion is called the mitochondrial calcium uniporter, or MCU. Like traffic moving people to destinations, the speed at which the MCU moves the energy is essential. If it is too slow, conditions such as obesity appear. If it is too fast, malnourishment results.

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"In the Science Signaling article, Dr. Muniswamy and colleagues describe another key component that, like a traffic police officer, regulates this roadway activity.

"'We identified a mitochondrial protein called MICU1 that functions as a gatekeeper of this roadway," Dr. Muniswamy said.

"When nutrient levels are low, MICU1 clamps down on the channel activity to prevent excess energy transaction. "When you're starving, you want to live longer, you don't want to burn all the sugar and the fat you have, so MICU1 slows down the activity," Dr. Muniswamy said.
The opposite is also true—if the roadway traffic is driving too slowly, MICU1 can rev it up."

Comment: In the distant past, we suffered from feast and famine. Obviously there had to be mechanisms to mitigate the extremes. Medical education tells us there is an average 300 calorie switch in metabolism in either direction. This complexity requires design, as chance cannot develop a back and forth system like this one.