Genetic regulation of the ATP synthase in neurons modulates cognition

The mitochondrial ATP synthase produces ATP by oxidative phosphorylation and integrates different signals to regulate cellular functions and fate. The ATPase inhibitory factor 1 (IF1) is a structurally-disordered protein that inhibits the ATP synthase, contributing to metabolic reprogramming and signalling through mitochondrial reactive oxygen species (mtROS). mtROS regulate kinases and transcription factors in mitohormetic responses that favour adaptation to toxic insults2. IF1 is tissue-specifically expressed and in human and mouse brain is in molar excess over the ATP synthase. Herein, we have used genetic approaches to ablate or overexpress IF1 in neurons to investigate its role in brain functions. IF1 inhibits a fraction of the ATP synthase under physiological conditions and regulates respiration, mtROS production and mitochondrial structure. Transcriptomic, proteomic and metabolomic analyses indicate that IF1 regulates synaptic transmission and cognition. Ablation of IF1 impairs short-term memory whereas IF1 overexpression increases basal synaptic transmission and learning by mtROS-dependent activation of the extracellular signal-regulated kinases 1/2 (ERK 1/2). Overall, we show that IF1 dose plays a fundamental role in the regulation of neuronal function by controlling the fraction of inhibited ATP synthase that acts as source of mitohormetic mtROS, further emphasizing the ATP synthase/IF1 as promising targets to treat cognitive disorders.