Role of Mitochondrial Dynamics in Microglial Activation and Metabolic Switch

Abstract

Microglia act as sensors of injury in the brain, favoring its homeostasis. Their activation and polarization toward a proinflammatory phenotype are associated with injury and disease. These processes are linked to a metabolic reprogramming of the cells, characterized by high rates of glycolysis and suppressed oxidative phosphorylation. This metabolic switch can be reproduced in vitro by microglial stimulation with LPS plus IFN-γ. To understand the mechanisms regulating mitochondrial respiration abolishment, we examined potential alterations in mitochondrial features during this switch using rat primary microglia. Cells did not show any change in mitochondrial membrane potential, suggesting a limited impact in the mitochondrial viability. We provide evidence that reverse operation of F0F1-ATP synthase contributes to mitochondrial membrane potential. In addition, we studied the possible implication of mitochondrial dynamics in the metabolic switch using the mitochondrial division inhibitor-1 (Mdivi-1), which blocks dynamin-related protein 1 (Drp1)–dependent mitochondrial fission. Mdivi-1 significantly reduced the expression of proinflammatory markers in LPS plus IFN-γ–treated microglia. However, this inhibition did not lead to a recovery of the oxidative phosphorylation ablation by LPS plus IFN-γ or to a microglia repolarization. Altogether, these results suggest that Drp1-dependent mitochondrial fission, although potentially involved in microglial activation, does not play an essential role in metabolic reprogramming and repolarization of microglia.