Mfn2 downregulation in excitotoxicity causes mitochondrial dysfunction and delayed neuronal death.

Mitochondrial fusion and fission is a dynamic process critical for the maintenance of mitochondrial function and cell viability. During excitotoxicity neuronal mitochondria are fragmented, but the mechanism underlying this process is poorly understood. Here, we show that Mfn2 is the only member of the mitochondrial fusion/fission machinery whose expression is reduced in in vitro and in vivo models of excitotoxicity. Whereas in cortical primary cultures, Drp1 recruitment to mitochondria plays a primordial role in mitochondrial fragmentation in an early phase that can be reversed once the insult has ceased, Mfn2 downregulation intervenes in a delayed mitochondrial fragmentation phase that progresses even when the insult has ceased. Downregulation of Mfn2 causes mitochondrial dysfunction, altered calcium homeostasis, and enhanced Bax translocation to mitochondria, resulting in delayed neuronal death. We found that transcription factor MEF2 regulates basal Mfn2 expression in neurons and that excitotoxicity-dependent degradation of MEF2 causes Mfn2 downregulation. Thus, Mfn2 reduction is a late event in excitotoxicity and its targeting may help to reduce excitotoxic damage and increase the currently short therapeutic window in stroke

Mfn2 downregulation in excitotoxicity causes mitochondrial dysfunction and delayed neuronal death

Mitochondrial fusion and fission is a dynamic process critical for the maintenance of mitochondrial function and cell viability. During excitotoxicity neuronal mitochondria are fragmented but the mechanism underlying this process is poorly understood. Here we show that Mfn2 is the only member of the mitochondrial fusion/fission machinery whose expression is reduced in in vitro and in vivo models of excitotoxicity. Whereas in cortical primary cultures Drp1 recruitment to mitochondria plays a primordial role in mitochondrial fragmentation in an early phase that can be reversed once the insult has ceased, Mfn2 downregulation intervenes in a delayed mitochondrial fragmentation phase that progresses even when the insult has ceased. Downregulation of Mfn2 causes mitochondrial dysfunction, altered calcium homeostasis and enhanced Bax translocation to mitochondria, resulting in delayed neuronal death. We found that transcription factor MEF2 regulates basal Mfn2 expression in neurons, and that excitotoxicity-dependent degradation of MEF2 causes Mfn2 downregulation. Thus, Mfn2 reduction is a late event in excitotoxicity and its targeting may help to reduce excitotoxic damage and increase the currently short therapeutic window in stroke

Effects of L-lactate on calcium spiking frequency.

<p>(a) Original traces of calcium transients in control or 5 mM L-lactate containing solution. (b) Calcium spiking frequency for principal glutamatergic neurons and GABAergic interneurons are shown as percent of activity measured during control solution. Data are obtained from 49 principal cells and 35 interneurons from 13 experiments.</p

D-lactate effects on neuronal activity.

<p>(a) Sample trace of calcium transients in control or 5 mM D-lactate containing solution. (b) D-lactate substantially decreased calcium transient frequency. (c) The concentration-response analysis yielded an apparent IC₅₀ of 4.6±1.2 mM (n = 127 cells; 21exp).</p

Neuronal activity monitored with calcium imaging.

<p>Comparison between simultaneous intracellular calcium imaging sampled at a frame rate of 10 Hz and whole-cell patch clamp recordings. A representative experiment out of 15 is shown with the upper trace representing calcium transients (arbitrary fluorescence units, AFU) and lower trace action potentials recorded in current-clamp configuration from the same neuron. The tick marks above the calcium trace indicate the occurrence of action potentials detected in the same cell using patch-clamp recordings.</p

Energy metabolite dependency of calcium spiking frequency.

<p>Calcium spikes frequency shown as percent of activity measured during control solution. (a) Effects of pyruvate on calcium spiking frequency (n = 188 cells, 24 exp). Glucose (5 mM) was present throughout the experiments. (b) Effects of glucose concentration on spiking frequency (n = 68 cells, 10 exp).</p