Study record
Abnormal levels of mitochondrial proteins in plasma neuronal extracellular vesicles in major depressive disorder
Goetzl EJ, Wolkowitz OM, Srihari VH et al. · Mol Psychiatry · 2021
What this study reported
Measured mitochondrial proteins in plasma neuron-derived extracellular vesicles and found lower MOTS-c and humanin levels, among other mitochondrial proteins, in participants with major depressive disorder than in matched controls, while SARM1 was higher. Levels of most of these proteins returned towards control values in participants who responded to SSRI therapy over eight weeks of follow-up, but not in non-responders.
Limitations
Small sample with ten controls and subgroups of ten responders and non-responders, many proteins tested without stated multiple-comparison correction, and extracellular-vesicle levels are an indirect proxy for neuronal mitochondrial state.
Study record
| Study model | Human observational |
|---|---|
| Substance studied | Endogenous MOTS-c measuredNaturally occurring MOTS-c was measured; nothing was given. |
| Species | human |
| System studied | Plasma neuron-derived extracellular vesicles from participants with major depressive disorder before and after SSRI treatment, and matched controls |
| Population | adults with major depressive disorder and matched controls |
| Design | Case-control study with repeated measures before and after treatment |
| Sample size as reported | 30 participants (20 major depressive disorder, 10 controls) |
| Control group | ten matched controls |
| Route (data field only) | Not reported |
| Endpoints measured | neuronal extracellular vesicle MOTS-c; humanin; NRF2; mitofusin-2; cyclophilin D; SARM1 |
| Pathways measured | NRF2 / antioxidant response · SIRT1 / PGC-1α / biogenesis · Other |
| Research areas | Nervous system · Mitochondrial biology |
| Evidence tier | B — Other human study |
| Publication types | Journal Article, Research Support, N.I.H., Extramural, Research Support, N.I.H., Intramural, Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't |
Appraisal
Each dimension is recorded separately and never combined into a single score. A study can be well controlled and still tell you little about people.
- Relevance to MOTS-c
- Peripheral
- Model applicability
- Human
- Sample size
- Small
- Controls
- Appropriate
- Outcome validity
- Exploratory
- Support for its own conclusion
- Weak
Provenance
- Bibliographic fields retrieved from PubMed E-utilities efetch (title, journal, date, authors, DOI) on 2026-11-11.
- Annotated from the published abstract.
- Editorial review: approved (2026-11-11).
- Classification follows the site methodology; the record describes the study, not what MOTS-c does in people.