Evidence map›Paper›PMID 42346109›Full record

ArticleCells2026

Ketone-Dependent Restoration of Autophagy and Mitochondrial Quality Control Through VPS35 in a Drosophila Model of C99-Induced Neurodegeneration.

Hao Huang, Kaijing Xu, Michael Lardellia

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Article in Cells, 2026. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Not yet cited in PubMed.

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4 · The record

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5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

3 authors.

Hao HuangSchool of Biologycal Sciences, Adelaide University, Adelaide, SA 5000, Australia.ORCID 0000-0002-5339-8353
Kaijing XuSchool of Biologycal Sciences, Adelaide University, Adelaide, SA 5000, Australia.ORCID 0000-0001-8575-2102
Michael LardelliaSchool of Biologycal Sciences, Adelaide University, Adelaide, SA 5000, Australia.ORCID 0000-0002-4289-444X

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

backgroundEarly endolysosomal and autophagic defects are among the earliest cellular alterations observed in Alzheimer's disease (AD). However, the molecular mechanisms linking amyloid precursor protein (APP) metabolism to vesicle trafficking dysfunction remain incompletely understood. The APP-derived fragment C99 has emerged as a potential upstream mediator of intracellular toxicity, but its impact on organelle homeostasis and its modulation by metabolic interventions remain unclear.

methodsTo investigate these mechanisms, we expressed human C99 in Drosophila neurons and examined intracellular pathology using ultrastructural analysis, fluorescent reporters of autophagy and mitochondrial turnover, and proteomic interactome mapping. The effects of the ketone body β-hydroxybutyrate (BHB) were evaluated to assess the impact of metabolic intervention.

resultsNeuronal C99 expression induced pronounced vesicular abnormalities, impaired autophagic turnover, and disrupted mitochondrial quality control. Transmission electron microscopy revealed extensive accumulation of enlarged vesicular compartments, accompanied by reduced mitochondrial turnover and accumulation of aged mitochondria. BHB treatment restored autophagic cargo clearance, improved mitochondrial turnover, and normalized vesicular ultrastructure. These protective effects required neuronal ketone transport, indicating a neuron-intrinsic metabolic mechanism. Proteomic analysis of the C99-associated interactome revealed that ketone treatment remodels networks enriched for vesicle trafficking and proteostasis pathways. Network prioritization identified the retromer component VPS35 as a candidate regulatory hub. Functional analyses demonstrated that depletion of VPS35 abolished the BHB-dependent restoration of autophagy, mitochondrial turnover, and vesicle morphology.

conclusionsKetone treatment restores mitochondrial quality control and autophagic homeostasis through a VPS35-dependent mechanism in C99-induced neurodegeneration. These findings provide mechanistic insight into how metabolic interventions may restore intracellular homeostasis in Alzheimer's disease.

Indexed as

Amyloid beta-Protein PrecursorAutophagyDrosophila ProteinsKetonesMitochondriaVesicular Transport ProteinsAlzheimer DiseaseAnimalsDisease Models, AnimalDrosophila melanogasterHumansNeuronsAmyloid beta-Protein PrecursorDrosophila ProteinsKetonesVesicular Transport ProteinsAlzheimer’s diseaseC99β-hydroxybutyrate

Identifiers

PMID42346109
PMCPMC13297195

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Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.