Clk1 deficiency promotes neuroinflammation and subsequent dopaminergic cell death through regulation of microglial metabolic reprogramming

Clock (Clk)1/COQ7 is a mitochondrial hydroxylase that is necessary for the biosynthesis of ubiquinone (coenzyme Q or UQ). Here, we investigate the role of Clk1 in neuroinflammation and consequentially dopaminergic (DA) neuron survival. Reduced expression of Clk1 in microglia enhanced the LPS-induced proinflammatory response and promoted aerobic glycolysis. Inhibition of glycolysis abolished Clk1 deficiency-induced hypersensitivity to the inflammatory stimulation. Mechanistic studies demonstrated that mTOR/HIF-1 alpha and ROS/HIF-1 alpha signaling pathways were involved in Clk1 deficiency-induced aerobic glycolysis. The increase in neuronal cell death was observed following treatment with conditioned media from Clk1 deficient microglia. Increased DA neuron loss and microgliosis were observed in Clk1(+/-) mice after treatment with MPTP, a rodent model of Parkinson's disease (PD). This increase in DA neuron loss was due to an exacerbated microglial inflammatory response, rather than direct susceptibility of C/k1(+/-) DA cells to MPP., the active species of MPTP. Exaggerated expressions of proinflammatory genes and loss of DA neurons were also observed in Clk1(+/-) mice after stereotaxic injection of LPS. Our results suggest that Clk1 regulates microglial metabolic reprogramming that is, in turn, involved in the neuroinflammatory processes and PD. (C) 2016 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.