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Astrocyte metabolism

Fatty acids fuelling astroglia and beyond

Nature Metabolism volume 5, pages 1253–1254 (2023)Cite this article

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Astrocytes are usually viewed as archetypical glycolytic cells. A study now shows that fatty acid oxidation in astrocytes rearranges the respiratory chain to a configuration that safeguards neuronal functionality and proper cognitive performance in mice.

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Fig. 1: Scheme depicting potential mechanisms by which astrocytic fatty acid oxidation sustains neuronal functionality.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Instituto Universitario de Investigación Neuroquímica (IUIN), Complutense University, Madrid, Spain

    Manuel Guzmán

  2. Centro de Investigación Biomédica en Red de Enfermedades Neurodegenerativas (CIBERNED), Instituto de Salud Carlos III, Madrid, Spain

    Manuel Guzmán

  3. Instituto Ramón y Cajal de Investigación Sanitaria (IRYCIS), Madrid, Spain

    Manuel Guzmán

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  1. Manuel Guzmán
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Correspondence to Manuel Guzmán.

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The author declares no competing interests.

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Guzmán, M. Fatty acids fuelling astroglia and beyond. Nat Metab 5, 1253–1254 (2023). https://doi.org/10.1038/s42255-023-00845-4

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