Context-specific interaction of the lipid regulator DIP-2 with phospholipid synthesis in axon regeneration and maintenance.

Abstract

Neurons maintain their morphology over prolonged periods of adult life with limited regeneration after injury. C. elegans DIP-2 is a conserved regulator of lipid metabolism that affects axon maintenance and regeneration after injury. Here, we investigated genetic interactions of dip-2 with mutants in genes involved in lipid biosynthesis and identified roles of phospholipids in axon regrowth and maintenance. CEPT-2 and EPT-1 are enzymes catalyzing the final steps in the de novo phospholipid synthesis (Kennedy) pathway. Loss of function mutants of cept-2 or ept-1 show reduced axon regrowth and failure to maintain axon morphology. We demonstrate that CEPT-2 is cell-autonomously required to prevent age-related axonal defects. Interestingly, loss of function in dip-2 led to suppression of the axon regrowth phenotype observed in either cept-2 or ept-2 mutants, suggesting that DIP-2 acts to counterbalance phospholipid synthesis. Our findings reveal the genetic regulation of lipid metabolism to be critical for axon maintenance under injury and during aging. Article SummaryLittle is known about how adult neurons live long with limited regenerative capacity. This study investigates the role of lipid metabolism in sustaining neuronal health in C. elegans. Mutating phospholipid synthetic genes impairs axon regrowth after injury. Lack of DIP-2, a lipid regulator, restores regrowth, suggesting DIP-2 counterbalances phospholipid synthesis. Moreover, neuronal phospholipid synthesis is essential for preventing age-dependent axonal defects. These findings reveal phospholipid biosynthesis is key to axon integrity during aging and injury. As lipid metabolism is implicated in neurological disorders, this study serves as an entry point into investigating neuronal lipid biology under various conditions.