PKM2 ablation enhanced retinal function and survival in a preclinical model of retinitis pigmentosa

Abstract

ABSTRACTRetinitis pigmentosa (RP) is a neurodegenerative disorder that causes irreversible vision loss in over 1.5 million individuals world-wide. In this study, we demonstrate that a metabolic reprogramming can treat degeneration in a Pde6β preclinical model of RP. Pyruvate kinase M2 (PKM2) is a glycolytic enzyme that transfers phosphate from phosphoenolpyruvate (PEP) to adenosine diphosphate (ADP), promoting glucose catabolism. Ablation of PKM2 resulted in enhanced photoreceptor survival and function in Pde6β-mutated mice compared with those without ablation. Electroretinogram (ERG) analyses revealed that the maximum b-wave is on average greater in Pkm2 knockout mice than in mice with Pkm2 intact. These rescue phenotypes from Pkm2 ablation in a preclinical model of RP indicate that a metabolome reprogramming may be useful in treating RP.