Mitochondria That Talk Back

Mitochondria aren't just the cell's power plants — they also produce signaling peptides like Humanin and MOTS-c that communicate with the rest of the cell. Humanin's signal is cytoprotective, helping cells survive stress, and it was actually first discovered in a screen for factors that let neurons survive Alzheimer's-disease-associated insults.

Mechanistically it binds FPRL1 and the gp130/IL6ST cytokine receptor and interacts with IGFBP3 to block apoptosis — protecting neurons, cardiac tissue, and metabolic cells from stress-induced death. This mitochondrial-to-nuclear communication is a relatively recent discovery and a fertile area of longevity research. Members discuss Humanin alongside MOTS-c as examples of mitochondria actively regulating cell fate, and the thread below covers where the neuroprotection evidence stands.