FTO (fat-mass and obesity-associated protein) deficiency aggravates age-dependent depression-like behaviors and cognitive impairment

• Published in: Behavioral and brain functions Vol. 21; no. 1; p. 18
• Main Authors: Li, Mengdie, Yang, Yating, Chen, Tangcong, Luo, Yueyang, Zhang, Yingqian, Liu, Huanzhong, Maes, Michael
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: England BioMed Central 15.06.2025; BMC
• Subjects: Age; Aging; Aging - metabolism; Alpha-Ketoglutarate-Dependent Dioxygenase FTO - deficiency; Alpha-Ketoglutarate-Dependent Dioxygenase FTO - genetics; Alpha-Ketoglutarate-Dependent Dioxygenase FTO - metabolism; Animal cognition; Animals; Anxiety; Anxiety - metabolism; Atrophy; BDNF-TrkB signaling pathway; Behavior; Behavior, Animal - physiology; Body fat; Brain injury; Brain research; Brain-derived neurotrophic factor; Brain-Derived Neurotrophic Factor - metabolism; Chronic unpredictable mild stress (CUMS); Cognition; Cognitive ability; Cognitive Dysfunction - genetics; Cognitive Dysfunction - metabolism; Cognitive impairment; Dendritic spines; Dendritic Spines - metabolism; Depression - genetics; Depression - metabolism; FTO; Hippocampus; Hippocampus - metabolism; Hippocampus - pathology; Kinases; Light; Male; Mental depression; Mice; Mice, Inbred C57BL; N6-methyladenosine; Nerve growth factor; Neurogenesis; Neuronal Plasticity - physiology; Neurons - metabolism; Neuroplasticity; Obesity; Protein deficiency; Proteins; Reelin Protein; Risk factors; Spatial discrimination learning; Spatial memory; Stress, Psychological - metabolism; Sucrose; Surgery; Synaptic plasticity; TrkB receptors; Tropomyosin; China; Shenzhen China; FTO; BDNF-TrkB signaling pathway; Chronic unpredictable mild stress (CUMS); Synaptic plasticity; Cognitive impairment

The demethylase fat mass and obesity-related associated protein (FTO) is strongly associated with depression. Aging is a risk factor for synaptic plasticity damage in the brain and leads to neurocognitive dysfunctions. FTO-dependent m6A modification plays an important role in neurodevelopment and co...