DMT1 knockout abolishes ferroptosis induced mitochondrial dysfunction in C. elegans amyloid beta proteotoxicity

Iron is critical for neuronal activity and metabolism, and iron dysregulation alters these functions in age-related neurodegenerative disorders, such as Alzheimers disease (AD). AD is a chronic neurodegenerative disease characterized by neuronal dysfunction, memory loss and decreased cognitive function. AD patients exhibit elevated iron levels in the brain compared to age-matched non-AD individuals. However, the degree to which iron overload contributes to AD pathogenesis is unclear. Here, we evaluated the involvement of ferroptosis, an iron-dependent cell death process, in mediating AD-like pathology in C. elegans. Results showed that iron accumulation occurred prior to the loss of neuronal function as worms age. In addition, energetic imbalance was an early event in iron-induced loss of neuronal function. Furthermore, the loss of neuronal function was, in part, due to increased mitochondrial reactive oxygen species mediated oxidative damage, ultimately resulting in ferroptotic cell death. Mitochondrial redox environment and ferroptosis were modulated by pharmacologic processes that exacerbate or abolish iron accumulation both in wild-type worms and worms with increased levels of neuronal amyloid beta. However, neuronal amyloid beta worms were more sensitive to ferroptosis-mediated neuronal loss, and this increased toxicity was ameliorated by limiting the uptake of ferrous iron through knockout of divalent metal transporter 1 (DMT1). In addition, the loss of DMT1 completely suppressed phenotypic measures of amyloid beta toxicity with age. Overall, our findings suggest that iron-induced ferroptosis alters the mitochondrial redox environment to drive oxidative damage when neuronal amyloid beta is overexpressed. DMT1 knockout abolishes neuronal amyloid beta pathology by reducing neuronal iron uptake