Biophysical Society Thematic Meeting | Bucharest 2026

Biophysics of Membrane Reactions in Brian

Tuesday Speaker Abstracts

MITOCHONDRIAL UNCOUPLING PROTEIN 4 IN BRAIN: PUTATIVE FUNCTIONS AND MOLECULAR MECHANISMS. Elena E. Pohl University of Veterinary Medicine, Medical Physics and Biophysics, Vienna, Austria Uncoupling Protein 4 (UCP4) is a neuron-specific member of the mitochondrial carrier superfamily SLC25. In contrast to UCP1, whose thermogenic function in brown adipose tissue is well characterized, UCP4 exhibits a distinct functional profile, playing an important role in regulating cellular energy metabolism and protecting against oxidative stress. In neuronal model systems, increased UCP4 expression leads to a reduction in mitochondrial calcium overload and improves cell survival rates under stress conditions. While UCP2 is more commonly found in proliferative, glycolytic stem cells, UCP4 expression increases significantly during neuronal differentiation, suggesting a specialization for postmitotic neurons. Functionally, UCP4 is associated with the modulation of the mitochondrial membrane potential by transporting protons in the presence of long-chain fatty acids. However, the transport of metabolites has also been hypothesized, suggesting a dual function of the protein. In conclusion I will discuss the AI-based structure of UCP4 and the putative molecular mechanism of its proton transport.

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