Why in News?

• Indian scientists have discovered that serotonin boosts energy production in brain cells and helps them survive under stress. This new knowledge can potentially be used to develop anti-stress drugs in

Role of Serotonin:

• Serotonin is a chemical that relays information from one part of the brain to another and is known to play a key role in a number of functions ranging from sleep to social
• The study by scientists at the Mumbai-based Tata Institute of Fundamental Research (TIFR) has found that the neurotransmitter boosts the number of mitochondria in brain cells.
• Mitochondria in brain cells generate energy to carry out cellular functions and play a role in survival of brain cells under
• In addition, serotonin also increases production of energy by
• This role of serotonin in regulating neuronal energetics was not known till

Benefits of Serotonin:

• Serotonin reduces toxic reactive oxygen species in neurons, boosts anti-oxidant enzymes and buffers neurons from the damaging effects of cellular
• The study has uncovered an unprecedented role of serotonin in energy production in neurons, directly impacting how neurons handle
• It has also identified novel therapeutic targets for the treatment of neurodegenerative and psychiatric

Energy boosting function:

• Researchers have also found out the mechanism through which serotonin carries out its energy boosting
• It has emerged that generation of new mitochondria in neurons by serotonin is accompanied by increased cellular respiration and energy chemical
• These effects of serotonin involve the serotonin2A receptor and master regulators of mitochondrial generation – SIRT1 and PGC-1a.