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[MINILIK SALSAWI]

A newly identified role for the neuronal MPS shows it controls nutrient uptake by acting as a gatekeeper. Its disruption speeds endocytosis and promotes toxic amyloid buildup linked to Alzheimer’s.

Brain cells constantly draw in material from the fluid around them, including signaling molecules, nutrients, and even fragments of their own outer membranes. This process, known as endocytosis, is vital for learning, memory, and routine maintenance of the nervous system.

Researchers at Penn State have now discovered that this essential function appears to be regulated by a previously unrecognized molecular structure. Just beneath the surface of neurons lies a lattice-shaped framework called the membrane-associated periodic skeleton, or MPS, which acts as a controlling barrier.

In a study published in Science Advances, the team reported that the MPS serves as a physical checkpoint for nearly all major types of endocytosis. The structure consists of repeating protein rings and was once believed to provide only structural support to help neurons keep their shape. The new findings show it has a far more active responsibility, determining when and where materials are allowed to enter the cell.
MPS Discovery and Neurodegenerative Links

“For many, many years we have been trying to understand this molecular mechanism, what kind of machinery will help to facilitate this process, because it’s connected to neurodegenerative diseases,” said Ruobo Zhou, assistant professor of chemistry, of biochemistry and molecular biology, and of biomedical engineering, at Penn State and corresponding author on the study. “When endocytosis — this nutrient uptake and regulation — goes wrong, then there’s protein aggregation that will build up in the brain, which is the hallmark of neurodegenerative diseases such as Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s.”

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