Altering the levels of metabolites in the Kynurenine pathway, which regulates eye color, can impact retinal health, according to a study by the Max Planck Institute of Molecular Cell Biology and Genetics (MPI-CBG). The researchers used fruit flies as a model organism and developed a biochemical analysis method to link the levels of different metabolites in the pathway to retinal health. The scientists found that the levels of toxic metabolites, such as 3-hydroxykynurenine (3OH-K), and protective metabolites, such as Kynurenic Acid (KYNA), governed retinal degeneration. The researchers noted that the ratio of the various metabolites and the specific sites of their accumulation and activity should be taken into account in therapeutic strategies for diseases with impaired Kynurenine pathway function, observed in various neurodegenerative conditions. This study could provide a new avenue for developing therapeutic strategies for retinal diseases and other neurodegenerative conditions associated with impaired Kynurenine pathway function.
A new study by the Max Planck Institute of Molecular Cell Biology and Genetics (MPI-CBG) has found that altering metabolite levels in the Kynurenine pathway, which regulates eye color, can affect retinal health. The study focused on the classic Drosophila genes responsible for eye color pigmentation and the formation of brown pigment in the fly’s eye. These genes encode the components of the metabolic pathway responsible for regulating eye color, among other biological processes. Changes in this pathway can affect the health of the brain, including the retina.
The researchers used fruit flies as a model organism for the study and used genetics, dietary changes, and biochemical analysis of metabolites to study different mutations of the fly. They developed a biochemical analysis method that allowed them to link the levels of different metabolites in the pathway to retinal health. The scientists found that the levels of toxic metabolites, such as 3-hydroxykynurenine (3OH-K), and protective metabolites, such as Kynurenic Acid (KYNA), governed retinal degeneration.
Through their experiments, the researchers were able to demonstrate that the location of these metabolites in the cell, and their availability for further reactions, was also important for retinal health. Altering levels of the Kynurenine pathway metabolites could present one of the means to improve retinal health. Moreover, the researchers noted that the ratio of the various metabolites and the specific sites of their accumulation and activity should be taken into account in therapeutic strategies for diseases with impaired Kynurenine pathway function, observed in various neurodegenerative conditions.
The findings of this study suggest that the metabolic pathways responsible for regulating eye color play a significant role in retinal health. This study could provide a new avenue for developing therapeutic strategies for retinal diseases and other neurodegenerative conditions associated with impaired Kynurenine pathway function.
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