SNO Graphic (IMAGE)

Scripps Research Institute

SNO Graphic

Caption

In postmenopausal women, depletion of estrogen causes excessive elevation of nitric oxide (NO) in the brain and thus generates S-nitrosylated complement factor C3 (SNO-C3). SNO-C3 triggers activated microglial cells, the innate immune cells in the brain, to phagocytose (or ‘eat’) neuronal synapses—the connections that mediate signaling between nerve cells in the brain. This aberrant chemical biology process results in synapse loss, leading to cognitive decline in Alzheimer’s disease.

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Chang-ki Oh and Stuart Lipton, Scripps Research

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