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N-Acetyl-Aspartate (NAA) Metabolism

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Neural Metabolism In Vivo

Part of the book series: Advances in Neurobiology ((NEUROBIOL,volume 4))

Abstract

N-Acetyl-Aspartate (NAA) remains a unique molecule in medicine, where although its been associated with a number of brain pathologies, primarily due to its non-invasive visibility by magnetic resonance spectroscopy, its function/s remains an enigma. NAA is synthesized from aspartate and acetyl-coenzyme A in neurons and appears to be associated with early postnatal central nervous system (CNS) development. Perhaps the clearest indications as to its function comes from the observation that NAA is transported from neurons to the cytoplasm of oligodendrocytes, where the expression of lipogenic enzymes in oligodendrocytes, including the NAA-degrading enzyme aspartoacylase (ASPA) cleaves the acetate moiety for use in fatty acid and steroid synthesis, thus forming the building blocks for myelin lipid synthesis. Mutations in the gene for ASPA result in the fatal leukodystrophy Canavan disease, for which there is currently no effective treatment. In addition to postnatal myelination, in adult brain NAA also appears to adopt other roles, including a bioenergetic role in neuronal mitochondria and ion balance.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Translation Molecular Imaging, Singapore Bioimaging Consortium, Agency for Science, Technology and Research, #02-02 Helios, 11 Biopolis Way, 138667, Singapore, Singapore

    Kishore K. Bhakoo Ph.D.

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Correspondence to Kishore K. Bhakoo Ph.D. .

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  1. School of Medicine, Hoglund Brain Imaging Center, University of Kansas, Rainbow Blvd. 3901, Kansas City, 66160, Kansas, USA

    In-Young Choi

  2. Inst. Physique de la Matière Complexe, Labo. d'Imagerie Fonctionnelle et, Ecole Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne, Lausanne, 1015, Switzerland

    Rolf Gruetter

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Bhakoo, K.K. (2012). N-Acetyl-Aspartate (NAA) Metabolism. In: Choi, IY., Gruetter, R. (eds) Neural Metabolism In Vivo. Advances in Neurobiology, vol 4. Springer, Boston, MA. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4614-1788-0_38

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