Neuronal fatty acid oxidation fuels memory after intensive learning

Abstract

Metabolic flexibility allows cells to adapt to different fuel sources, which is particularly important for cells with high metabolic demands. In contrast, neurons, which are major energy consumers, are considered to rely almost solely on glucose and its derivatives to support their metabolism1-3. Here, using Drosophila melanogaster, we show memory formed after intensive massed training is dependent on mitochondrial fatty acid (FA) {beta}-oxidation to produce ATP in neurons of the mushroom bodies (MB), a major integrative center in insects brain. We identify neuronal lipid droplets as the main source of FAs for this type of memory. Furthermore, we demonstrate that this intensive massed training is associated with mitochondria network remodeling in the soma of MB neurons, resulting in increased mitochondrial size. Artificially increasing mitochondria size in adult MB neurons increases ATP production in their soma and, at the behavioral level, strikingly results in improved memory performance after massed training. These findings challenge the prevailing view that neurons are unable to use FAs for energy production, and importantly revealing on the contrary that in vivo neuronal FA oxidation has an essential role in cognitive function, including memory formation.