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Altered MAM function shifts mitochondrial metabolism in SOD1-mutant models of ALS

Mitochondrial defects are a common hallmark of familial and sporadic forms of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS). However, the origin of these defects, including reduced pyruvate metabolism and reduced oxygen consumption, is poorly understood. These metabolic functions are regulated in specialized endoplasmic reticulum (ER) domains in close contact with mitochondria, called mitochondrial-associated ER membranes (MAM). Recently it has been shown that MAM domains are disrupted in ALS, but the connection between MAM dysregulation and mitochondrial defects in ALS cells remains unclear. Using human embryonic stem cell (ESC)-derived motor neurons (hMNs) and mouse models with ALS-pathogenic mutations in superoxide dismutase 1 (SOD1), we found that the glycolytic deficiency in ALS is a direct consequence of the progressive disruption of MAM structure and function that hinders the use of glucose-derived pyruvate as a mitochondrial fuel and triggers a shift in mitochondrial substrates from pyruvate to fatty acids. This glycolytic deficiency, over time, induces significant alterations in mitochondrial electron flow and in the active/dormant (A/D) status of complex I in spinal cord, but not in brain. These data agree with a role for MAM in the maintenance and regulation of cellular glucose metabolism and suggest that MAM disruption in ALS could be the underlying cause of the bioenergetic deficits observed in the disease.