Why are athletes so smart?
Exercise improves memory and learning ability by activating the mTOR protein
It is known that physical exercises have a beneficial effect on memory and learning ability, including complex motor skills. Despite the active research in this area, all the molecular mechanisms of the influence of physical activity on cognitive functions have not yet been clarified. Now scientists from China have discovered another of these mechanisms
Exercise is known to enhance the expression of the gene encoding brain neurotrophic factor (BDNF). This protein stimulates and controls the development of neurons, and is also able to activate mTOR kinase, a protein known as the "target of rapamycin".
The mTOR enzyme participates in a variety of cellular processes, including cell differentiation, apoptosis and autophagy, aging, and the suppression of mTOR activity by rapamycin prolongs the life of many organisms. On the other hand, activation of mTOR kinase promotes the processes of synaptic transmission and myelination of axons of nerve cells and enhances dendritic plasticity, - a change in the number of dendritic spines, membrane outgrowths on the processes–dendrites of the neuron. These processes are key to memory formation and learning, including motor memory. The researchers suggested that the mTOR kinase signaling pathway plays the role of an intermediary between exercise and activation of cognitive functions of the brain, especially since it is also activated in response to physical activity in skeletal muscles.
Article by Chen et al. Exercise training improves motor skill learning via selective activation of mTOR is published in the journal Science Advances.
Scientists conducted experiments on laboratory mice, which were forced to run on a treadmill. During training, the formation of dendritic spines and postsynaptic excitability increased in animals, the myelin sheath of axons thickened. And experiments with the inhibition of mTOR kinase by rapamycin showed that there was no activating effect of exercise in runner mice who received rapamycin. From this, scientists concluded that activation of the mTOR kinase signaling pathway in the motor cortex of the brain is important for learning motor skills (in humans, this would be an improvement in the smoothness and accuracy of movements necessary for practicing, for example, dancing and music).
Figure from the press release of Jinan University Researchers elucidate mechanism between exercise and improved motor learning – VM.
Studies of energy metabolism processes have shown that activation of the mTOR signaling pathway helps to meet the increased energy demand during physical exertion, but inhibition of mTOR kinase by rapamycin leads to insufficient energy supply to brain tissues, which adversely affects the vital activity of nerve cells. At the same time, in mice that received rapamycin, but did not run, brain cells functioned normally. That is, the activation of mTOR is necessary to enhance dendritic plasticity during physical exertion, but its inhibition does not interfere with functioning at the basic level. However, this fact makes one wonder whether the idea of prolonging life with the help of mTOR inhibition is so good, at least for fans of an active lifestyle.
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