Cited by 204Autophagy in Disease and TherapyGenetics, Aging, and Longevity in Model OrganismsLipid metabolism and biosynthesis

Starving Neurons Show Sex Difference in Autophagy

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Du, Lina, Hickey, Robert W., Bayir, Hülya, Watkins, Simon C., Tyurin, Vladimir A., Guo, Fengli, Kochanek, Patrick M., Jenkins, Larry W. +5 more·2009·Journal of Biological Chemistry

Abstract

Sex-dependent differences in adaptation to famine have long been appreciated, thought to hinge on female versus male preferences for fat versus protein sources, respectively. However, whether these differences can be reduced to neurons, independent of typical nutrient depots, such as adipose tissue, skeletal muscle, and liver, was heretofore unknown. A vital adaptation to starvation is autophagy, a mechanism for recycling amino acids from organelles and proteins. Here we show that segregated neurons from males in culture are more vulnerable to starvation than neurons from females. Nutrient deprivation decreased mitochondrial respiration, increased autophagosome formation, and produced cell death more profoundly in neurons from males versus females. Starvation-induced neuronal death was attenuated by 3-methyladenine, an inhibitor of autophagy; Atg7 knockdown using small interfering RNA; or L-carnitine, essential for transport of fatty acids into mitochondria, all more effective in neurons from males versus females. Relative tolerance to nutrient deprivation in neurons from females was associated with a marked increase in triglyceride and free fatty acid content and a cytosolic phospholipase A2-dependent increase in formation of lipid droplets. Similar sex differences in sensitivity to nutrient deprivation were seen in fibroblasts. However, although inhibition of autophagy using Atg7 small interfering RNA inhibited cell death during starvation in neurons, it increased cell death in fibroblasts, implying that the role of autophagy during starvation is both sex- and tissue-dependent. Thus, during starvation, neurons from males more readily undergo autophagy and die, whereas neurons from females mobilize fatty acids, accumulate triglycerides, form lipid droplets, and survive longer.

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Authors
Du, L., Hickey, R. W., Bayir, H., Watkins, S. C., Tyurin, V. A., Guo, F., Kochanek, P. M., Jenkins, L. W., Ren, J., Gibson, G., Chu, C. T., Kagan, V. E., & Clark, R. S. B.
Affiliations
University of Pittsburgh (US)
Corresponding author
Clark, Robert S.B.
Venue
Journal of Biological Chemistry
Publisher
Elsevier BV
Published
2009-01
Volume
284
Issue
4
Pages
2383-2396
ISSN
0021-9258 (ISSN-L)
OpenAlex
W2092921827
Cited by
204
References
40
Citations by year
2026: 3 · 2025: 7 · 2024: 6 · 2023: 6 · 2022: 14 · 2021: 19 · 2020: 9 · 2019: 16 · 2018: 15 · 2017: 10 · 2016: 12 · 2015: 7 · 2014: 18 · 2013: 10 · 2012: 14
FWCI
9.43
Type
journal article
Language
en
Open access
Locations
  • Journal of Biological Chemistry (publishedVersion, cc-by)
  • PubMed Central (publishedVersion)
  • PubMed (publishedVersion)
Funders
  • National Institutes of Health (NS30318, NS061817)
  • National Institute on Aging (AG026389, R01AG026389)
  • National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke (NS-30318, R01NS038620, NS38620, NS061817)
  • Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development (HD045968, R01HD045968)
Topics
  • Health Sciences › Medicine › Epidemiology › Autophagy in Disease and Therapy
  • Life Sciences › Biochemistry, Genetics and Molecular Biology › Aging › Genetics, Aging, and Longevity in Model Organisms
  • Life Sciences › Biochemistry, Genetics and Molecular Biology › Biochemistry › Lipid metabolism and biosynthesis
Keywords
sex differences, autophagy, nutrient deprivation, neuronal cell death, mitochondrial respiration, autophagosome formation, ATG7, 3-methyladenine, L-carnitine, fatty acid uptake, triglycerides, free fatty acids, lipid droplets, cytosolic phospholipase A2, fibroblasts
MeSH terms
Animals, Autophagy, Cells, Cultured, Cytosol, Female, Fibroblasts, Lysosomes, Male, Microscopy, Electron, Neurons, Sex Characteristics, Substrate Specificity, Rats, Sprague-Dawley, Lipid Metabolism, Rats, Group IV Phospholipases A2

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