Insertion of proteolipid protein into mitochondria but not DM20 regulates metabolism of cells

Abstract Proteolipid protein (PLP), besides its adhesive role in myelin, has been postulated to have multiple cellular functions. One well-documented function of PLP is regulation of oligodendrocyte (Olg) apoptosis. In contrast, DM20, an alternatively spliced product of the PLP1 / Plp1 gene, has been proposed to have functions that are unique from PLP but these functions have never been elucidated. Here, we compare metabolism of PLP and DM20, and show that oxidative phosphorylation (OxPhos) was significantly decreased in Plp1 but not DM20 or EGFP expressing cells. The reserve OxPhos capacity of Plp1 expressing cells was half of control cells, suggesting that they are very vulnerable to stress. ATP in media of Plp1 expressing cells is significantly increased more than two-fold compared to controls; markers of apoptosis are increased in cells over-expressing Plp1, indicating that abnormal metabolism of PLP is most likely the direct cause leading to Olg apoptosis. We hypothesize that abnormal metabolism, mediated by increased insertion of PLP into mitochondria, underlies demyelination in Pelizaeus-Merzbacher Disease (PMD) and in models of PMD. To understand why PLP and DM20 function differently, we mutated or deleted amino acids located in the PLP-specific region. All these mutations and deletions of the PLP-specific region prevented insertion of PLP into mitochondria. These findings demonstrate that the PLP-specific region is essential for PLP’s import into mitochondria, and now offer an explanation for deciphering unique functions of PLP and DM20.