TDP-43 dysfunction leads to bioenergetic failure and lipid metabolic rewiring in human cells

The dysfunction of TAR DNA-binding protein 43 (TDP-43) is implicated in various neurodegenerative diseases, though the specific contributions of its toxic gain-of-function versus loss-of-function effects remain unclear. This study investigates the impact of TARDBP loss on cellular metabolism and viability using human-induced pluripotent stem cell-derived motor neurons and HeLa cells. TARDBP silencing led to reduced metabolic activity and cell growth, accompanied by neurite degeneration and decreased oxygen consumption rates in both cell types. Notably, TARDBP depletion induced a metabolic shift, impairing ATP production, increasing metabolic inflexibility, and elevating free radical production, indicating a critical role for TDP-43 in maintaining cellular bioenergetics. Furthermore, TARDBP loss triggered non-apoptotic cell death, increased ACSL4 expression, and reprogrammed lipid metabolism towards lipid droplet accumulation, while paradoxically enhancing resilience to ferroptosis inducers. Overall, our findings highlight those essential cellular traits such as ATP production, metabolic activity, oxygen consumption, and cell survival are highly dependent on TARDBP function.