Mind & Matter
Whether food, drugs or ideas, what you consume influences who you become. Learn directly from the best scientists & thinkers alive today about how your mind-body reacts to what you feed it.
The weekly M&M podcast features conversations with the most interesting scientists, thinkers, and technology entrepreneurs alive today.
Not medical advice.
At M&M, we are interested in trying to figure out how things work, not affirming our existing beliefs. We prefer consulting primary rather than secondary sources and independent rather than institutional voices. If we encounter uncomfortable truths or the evidence suggests unfashionable ideas may be valid, so be it.
As the host, my aim is to help you better understand how the body & mind work by curating & synthesizing information in a way that yields science-based insights that you can choose to use or disregard in your own life. Taking ownership of your health starts with taking ownership of your information diet.
I am motivated to connect the dots and distill general principles from what I learn, preferring to ask questions and play devil’s advocate to debating or incessantly pushing my own viewpoint.
My beliefs:
- Taking ownership of your health starts with taking ownership of your information diet.
- All knowledge is provisional and we must work hard to prevent ourselves from becoming attached to our favorite ideas & preferred conclusions.
- Wisdom comes from an iterative, trial-and-error process of learning and unlearning. Letting go of pre-conceived notions can be painful, but pain is information.
Sometimes modern discoveries teach us we must unlearn received wisdom. Other times, modern information overload & historical chauvinism cause us to forget ancient wisdom which stills applies. The framework for learning that I embody is inspired by three Ancient Greek maxims inscribed in the Temple of Apollo at Delphi:
- “Γνῶθι σεαυτόν” (Know thyself)
- “Μηδὲν ἄγαν” (Nothing in excess)
- “Ἐγγύα πάρα δ Ἄτα” (Certainty brings insanity)
Mind & Matter
MOTS-c & Mitochondrial Peptides in Health & Aging | David Lee | Episode 302
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Mitochondrial peptide MOTS-c is a stress-induced signal that reprograms cell metabolism.
TOPICS DISCUSSED:
- Mitochondrial Roles: Not just ATP production, but “speaker of the house” via communication molecules that “talk” to the rest of the cell.
- Origin of Communication: Mitochondrial peptides were likely co-opted from ancient antimicrobial factors to synchronize nuclear and mitochondrial genomes.
- MOTC Discovery: Identified in mitochondrial ribosomal RNA regions linked to interferon responses.
- Stress Induction: MOTS-c is produced in response to exercise, immune activation, and nutrient withdrawal; circulates as a mitokine.
- Nuclear Regulation: MOTS-c translocates to the nucleus under stress and acts as a nonspecific cofactor that shapes chromatin accessibility and gene expression.
- Metabolic Effects: Prevents diet-induced obesity and fatty liver in mice without altering baseline weight; engages AMPK and suppresses anabolic pathways.
- Immune Modulation: Shifts immune cell programs to reduce autoimmune attack in type 1 diabetes models.
- Aging Phenotypes: Daily or intermittent dosing doubles running capacity and preserves walking ability in old mice.
ABOUT THE GUEST: Changhan David Lee, PhD is Associate Professor at the University of Southern California Leonard Davis School of Gerontology. His laboratory investigates mitochondrial communication and microproteins in the biology of aging.
RELATED CONTENT:
- Article | MOTS-c & Cellular Energy Homeostasis
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