Stress and bioenergetics: what about mitochondria?

The bioenergetic dimension of stress is only beginning to emerge. In this presentation, we will shed light on the interplay between stress, synapses and metabolism. We will present published and unpublished data from three different mouse models of anxiety-related behavior, social stress and chronic stress which we have analyzed by combining state-of-the-art proteomic, metabolomic, bioinformatic, biochemical and pharmacological approaches. We will show that: After exposure to stress, energy metabolism pathways change across different brain areas.; Synaptic mitochondria are the common denominator of the stress-related changes observed at the synapses.; These mitochondrial changes are either linked to increased oxidative stress or altered mitochondrial number and transport and are region-dependent.; We will then demonstrate that selective mitochondrial targeting exerts anxiolytic effects in vivo. We will further discuss the potential of mitochondrial targeting for therapeutic interventions in stress-related pathologies and outline future perspectives for clinical implementation.

This study was supported by DFG and the Max Planck Society.