The multifaceted roles of the brain glycogen

Glycogen is an essential carbohydrate storage molecule involved in multiple tissue-specific processes. This review provides a comprehensive summary of our understanding of brain glycogen and the multifaceted roles of glycogen proposed by recent articles. The roles are described in health and disease with a focus on current evidence linking glycogen and glycosylation. Finally, we highlight the therapeutic potential of targeting glycogen metabolism and potential avenues for future research. AbstractGlycogen is a biologically essential macromolecule that is directly involved in multiple human diseases. While its primary role in carbohydrate storage and energy metabolism in the liver and muscle is well characterized, recent research has highlighted critical metabolic and non-metabolic roles for glycogen in the brain. In this review, the emerging roles of glycogen homeostasis in the healthy and diseased brain are discussed with a focus on advancing our understanding of the role of glycogen in the brain. Innovative technologies that have led to novel insights into glycogen functions are detailed. Key insights into how cellular localization impacts neuronal and glial function are discussed. Perturbed glycogen functions are observed in multiple disorders of the brain, including where it serves as a disease driver in the emerging category of neurological glycogen storage diseases (n-GSDs). n-GSDs include Lafora disease (LD), adult polyglucosan body disease (APBD), Cori disease, Glucos...
Source: Journal of Neurochemistry - Category: Neuroscience Authors: Tags: REVIEW Source Type: research