Inflammation in the central nervous system can impair the function of neuronal mitochondria and contributes to axon degeneration in the common neuroinflammatory disease multiple sclerosis (MS). Here we combine cell-type-specific mitochondrial proteomics with in vivo biosensor imaging to dissect how inflammation alters the molecular composition and functional capacity of neuronal mitochondria. We show that neuroinflammatory lesions in the mouse spinal cord cause widespread and persisting axonal ATP deficiency, which precedes mitochondrial oxidation and calcium overload. This axonal energy deficiency is associated with impaired electron transport chain function, but also an upstream imbalance of tricarboxylic acid (TCA) cycle enzymes, with several, including key rate-limiting, enzymes being depleted in neuronal mitochondria in experimental models and in MS lesions. Notably, viral overexpression of individual TCA enzymes can ameliorate the axonal energy deficits in neuroinflammatory lesions, suggesting that TCA cycle dysfunction in MS may be amendable to therapy.
GrantsEuropean Research Council (ERC) under the European Union German Federal Ministry of Research and Education (Competence Network Multiple Sclerosis) Verein Therapieforschung fuer MS-Kranke e.V.' ERC under the European Union Pioneer Grant from Doppelganger Biosystem GmbH German Center for Neurodegenerative Diseases Munich Center for Systems Neurology Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft (DFG) Doppelganger Biosystem GmbH for metabolic modeling Swiss National Science Foundation Gertrud Reemtsma Foundation Emmy Noether Program of the DFG EMBO Fellowships Swiss National Science Foundation fellowship TUM Graduate School via the PhD Program Medical Life Sciences and Technology' Munich School of Systemic Neurosciences