Glycogen-dependent metabolic reprogramming regulates microglial activation and dysfunction in neurodegenerative disease

Authors list

Hannah McAlister Heather Merchant Verity Mitchener Noemi Gatto Millie Thackray Emily Blackburn Libby Shackleton Matthew S Gentry Lorena Arancibia Carcamo Amy F Lloyd

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Abstract

Microglia are central regulators of neuroinflammation in Alzheimers disease (AD), yet how metabolic states modulate function remains unclear. Here we show that microglia from the APPNLGF mouse model revealed upregulation of glycolytic enzymes coinciding with onset of microglial activation. Surprisingly, this glycolytic shift occurred alongside reduced expression of glucose transporters, suggesting that extracellular glucose may not be the primary fuel source, implicating glycogenolysis as the potential metabolic driver. Consistent with this, significant microglial glycogen accumulation was noted in late disease, when cells exhibited features of metabolic exhaustion and functional impairment. Pharmacological inhibition of glycogenolysis blunted microglia responses to Abeta aggregates and markedly reduced Abeta uptake, confirming a functional role for glycogen metabolism in shaping microglial states. Together, these findings identify glycogen as a central regulator of microglial metabolic health and function, highlighting glycogen homeostasis as a potential therapeutic target for promoting Abeta clearance and preserving protective microglial functions in AD.