Cited by 451Neuroscience and Neuropharmacology ResearchMitochondrial Function and PathologyNeural dynamics and brain function

Oxidative phosphorylation, not glycolysis, powers presynaptic and postsynaptic mechanisms underlying brain information processing

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Hall, C. N., Klein-Flugge, M. C., Howarth, C., Attwell, D.·2012·Journal of Neuroscience

Abstract

Neural activity has been suggested to initially trigger ATP production by glycolysis, rather than oxidative phosphorylation, for three reasons: glycolytic enzymes are associated with ion pumps; neurons may increase their energy supply by activating glycolysis in astrocytes to generate lactate; and activity increases glucose uptake more than O₂ uptake. In rat hippocampal slices, neuronal activity rapidly decreased the levels of extracellular O₂ and intracellular NADH (reduced nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide), even with lactate dehydrogenase blocked to prevent lactate generation, or with only 20% superfused O₂ to mimic physiological O₂ levels. Pharmacological analysis revealed an energy budget in which 11% of O₂ use was on presynaptic action potentials, 17% was on presynaptic Ca²⁺ entry and transmitter release, 46% was on postsynaptic glutamate receptors, and 26% was on postsynaptic action potentials, in approximate accord with theoretical brain energy budgets. Thus, the major mechanisms mediating brain information processing are all initially powered by oxidative phosphorylation, and an astrocyte-neuron lactate shuttle is not needed for this to occur.

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  1. Sokoloff L Field J Magoun HW Hall VE The metabolism of the central nervous system in vivo Handbook of Physiology, Section I, Neurophysiology 1960 vol. 3 1843 1864 American Physiological Society Washington D.C.

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Authors
Hall, C. N., Klein-Flugge, M. C., Howarth, C., & Attwell, D.
Affiliations
University College London (GB)
Corresponding author
Attwell, D.
Venue
Journal of Neuroscience
Published
2012-06-27
Volume
32
Issue
26
Pages
8940-8951
ISSN
  • 0270-6474 (ISSN-L)
  • 1529-2401
OpenAlex
W2069821327
Cited by
451
References
77
Citations by year
2026: 31 · 2025: 42 · 2024: 40 · 2023: 34 · 2022: 42 · 2021: 44 · 2020: 36 · 2019: 25 · 2018: 37 · 2017: 28 · 2016: 26 · 2015: 18 · 2014: 26 · 2013: 18 · 2012: 4
FWCI
8.63
Type
journal article
Language
en
Open access
Locations
  • Journal of Neuroscience (publishedVersion)
  • Europe PMC (PubMed Central) (publishedVersion)
  • PubMed Central (publishedVersion)
  • PubMed (publishedVersion)
  • UCL Discovery (University College London) (submittedVersion)
Funders
Wellcome Trust (017948, 075232/Z/04/Z)
Topics
  • Life Sciences › Neuroscience › Cellular and Molecular Neuroscience › Neuroscience and Neuropharmacology Research
  • Life Sciences › Biochemistry, Genetics and Molecular Biology › Molecular Biology › Mitochondrial Function and Pathology
  • Life Sciences › Neuroscience › Cognitive Neuroscience › Neural dynamics and brain function
Keywords
oxidative phosphorylation, glycolysis, brain energy metabolism, oxygen consumption, NADH, astrocyte-neuron lactate shuttle, presynaptic mechanisms, postsynaptic mechanisms, glutamate receptors, action potential, calcium influx, neurotransmitter release, hippocampus, brain information processing
MeSH terms
Action Potentials, Adenosine Triphosphate, Animals, Animals, Newborn, Dose-Response Relationship, Drug, Electric Stimulation, Enzyme Inhibitors, Glycolysis, Hippocampus, Models, Biological, NAD, Neurons, Organic Chemicals, Oxidative Phosphorylation, Oxygen, Synapses, Tetrodotoxin, Valine, Rats, Sprague-Dawley, Presynaptic Terminals, Excitatory Amino Acid Antagonists, Statistics, Nonparametric, 6-Cyano-7-nitroquinoxaline-2,3-dione, Cadmium Chloride, Lactic Acid, Excitatory Postsynaptic Potentials, Sodium Channel Blockers, Rats, In Vitro Techniques

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