Dear Colleagues,

Neurotrophic factors or neurotrophins (NTs) are a class of signaling molecules that regulate a multitude of aspects of neuronal biology, including cell proliferation, differentiation, and survival in both developing and mature CNS. By binding Trk receptors, NTs regulate neural circuitry, such as vesicle recycling, neurotransmitter synthesis and axoplasmic transport, and many other neuronal functions which contribute to the elevated metabolic rate registered in the CNS. Therefore, it is not surprising that NTs are involved in the regulation of energy balance. NTs work together to provide an adaptive response to fluctuations in energy intake and expenditure, connecting the central nervous system with peripheral tissues, including muscle, liver, and the adipose tissue in a complex operational network. By finely tuning intracellular signals, they influence many mitochondrial functions, affecting the cellular metabolism. Recognized as the powerhouses of cells, mitochondria are dynamic organelles that integrate cell physiology, signaling pathways, and metabolism. However, currently, the complex mechanisms and pathways used by NTs to influence mitochondria are yet to be covered.

Notably, the pathological features of various age-related neurodegenerative diseases, such as the disruption of mitochondrial functionality and the dysregulation of metabolic genes, highlight the importance of understanding the NTs’ mitochondria connections, as these can be exploited as potential key sites for the development of novel therapeutical approaches.

This Special Issue of Life will collect original research articles as well as reviews dealing with the mechanisms by which NTs are involved in the regulation of energy expenditure. The article collection will also include papers describing unidentified mechanisms and signaling pathways by which NTs control the mitochondrial function and dynamics, including signal transduction, gene expression, cell proliferation, cell death, and cell-to-cell interactions using different experimental models. We also encourage submissions that highlight outstanding technical challenges and discuss more recent attempts to harness the neuroprotective capacity of endogenous NTs and to sustain the mitochondrial function using small molecules.

Dr. Marianna Flora Tomasello
Prof. Dr. Angela Maria Amorini
Dr. Francesco Attanasio
Guest Editors

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 100 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for announcement on this website.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Life is an international peer-reviewed open access monthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 2600 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

• neurotrophins
• mitochondria
• metabolism
• bioenergetics
• cell biology
• neurobiology