The loss of OPA1 accelerates intervertebral disc degeneration and osteoarthritis in aged mice

NP cells of the intervertebral disc and articular chondrocytes reside in avascular and hypoxic tissue niches. As a consequence of these environmental constraints the cells are primarily glycolytic in nature and were long thought to have a minimal reliance on mitochondrial function. Recent studies have challenged this long-held view and highlighted the increasingly important role of mitochondria in the physiology of these tissues. However, the foundational understanding of mechanisms governing mitochondrial dynamics and function in these tissues is lacking. We investigated the role of mitochondrial fusion protein OPA1 in maintaining the spine and knee joint health in mice. OPA1 knockdown in NP cells altered mitochondrial size and cristae shape and increased the oxygen consumption rate without affecting ATP synthesis. OPA1 governed the morphology of multiple organelles, including peroxisomes, early endosomes and cis-Golgi and its loss resulted in the dysregulation of NP cell autophagy. Metabolic profiling and 13C-flux analyses revealed TCA cycle anaplerosis and altered metabolism in OPA1-deficient NP cells. Noteworthy, Opa1AcanCreERT2 mice with Opa1 deletion in disc and cartilage showed age-dependent disc degeneration, osteoarthritis, and vertebral osteopenia. Our findings underscore that OPA1 regulation of mitochondrial dynamics and multi-organelle interactions is critical in preserving metabolic homeostasis of disc and cartilage.