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New study reveals critical role of C1q protein in neuronal function and aging - EurekAlert
A groundbreaking study conducted at the lab of Beth Stevens, PhD, at Boston Children’s Hospital has revealed that an immune protein impacts neuronal protein synthesis in the aging brain. Previous work from the Stevens lab had uncovered that immune cells in the central nervous system, microglia, help prune synapses in the developing brain by tagging synapses with the immune protein C1q. New research led by Nicole Scott-Hewitt, published in Cell, shows that neurons can also internalize C1q. C1q seems to influence protein production inside neurons by interacting with ribosomal proteins, RNA-binding proteins, and RNA in the cell's cytoplasm. Additionally, C1q accumulates in neurons over time, suggesting it may play a role in age-related cognitive changes and neurodegenerative conditions.
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