APOE genotype modifies microglial immunometabolism

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Abstract Background Metabolic dysfunction and neuroinflammation characterize Alzheimer’s disease (AD), but it is unclear if these two facets of the disease are linked. The E4 allele of Apolipoprotein E (APOE) is the strongest genetic risk factor for late‐onset AD and is associated with increased neuroinflammation. Recent data from our lab and others show that E4 is also associated with increased aerobic glycolysis. These two findings may be intrinsically linked through the concept of ‘immunometabolism’ ‐ an emerging paradigm that implicates increased glycolysis as a core requirement during pro‐inflammatory activation, whereas increased oxidative phosphorylation is required for anti‐inflammatory responses. Method Primary microglia from mice expressing human APOE isoforms were stimulated with a combination of interferon‐γ and tumor necrosis factor‐α, two pro‐inflammatory cytokines implicated in AD. Metabolic responses were measured using the Agilent Seahorse platform and targeted metabolomics. In addition, we performed single‐cell RNA sequencing on brains from APOE targeted replacement mice at 3‐, 10‐, and 18 months of age. APOE targeted replacement mice were also crossed to the 5x Familial Alzheimer’s Disease model and brains were analyzed by spatial transcriptomics. Result Seahorse revealed increased glycolysis and decreased mitochondrial respiration in E4 microglia. Targeted metabolomics revealed increased lactate and succinate in E4 microglia, metabolites known to accumulate in pro‐inflammatory macrophages. Aged E4 brains were found to harbor a metabolically distinct cluster of microglia that expressed a signature similar to the established ‘disease associated microglia’ (DAM) phenotype, even in the absence of neuropathology. SCENIC regulon analysis linked this cluster to the transcription network of HIF1a. Ongoing experiments targeting the HIF1a pathway seek to correct the E4‐associated increased aerobic glycolysis and excess pro‐inflammatory cytokine secretion. Conclusion Our findings reveal that inflammatory stimulation, age, and amyloid each induce a distinct metabolic response in E4 microglia. The accumulation of lactate and succinate and increased glycolysis in E4 microglia indicate altered metabolic preference conducive to pro‐inflammatory activation, whereas the decreased mitochondrial respiration may preclude effective anti‐inflammatory responses. We propose that this altered metabolism skews E4 microglia towards a phenotype that favors chronic neuroinflammation and neurodegeneration. Thus, reprogramming metabolism in E4 microglia may provide a novel therapeutic avenue for the treatment of AD.

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