Autophagy disruption reduces mTORC1 activation leading to retinal ganglion cell neurodegeneration associated with glaucoma

Autophagy dysfunction has been associated with several neurodegenerative diseases including glaucoma, characterized by the degeneration of retinal ganglion cells (RGCs). However, the mechanisms by which autophagy dysfunction promotes RGC damage remain unclear. Here, we hypothesized that perturbation of the autophagy pathway results in increased autophagic demand, thereby downregulating signaling through mammalian target of rapamycin complex 1 (mTORC1), a negative regulator of autophagy, contributing to the degeneration of RGCs. We identified an impairment of autophagic-lysosomal degradation and decreased mTORC1 signaling via activation of the stress sensor adenosine monophosphate-activated protein kinase (AMPK), along with subsequent neurodegeneration in RGCs differentiated from human pluripotent stem cells (hPSCs) with a glaucoma-associated variant of Optineurin (OPTN-E50K). Similarly, the microbead occlusion model of glaucoma resulting in ocular hypertension also exhibited autophagy disruption and mTORC1 downregulation. Pharmacological inhibition of mTORC1 in hPSC-derived RGCs recapitulated disease-related neurodegenerative phenotypes in otherwise healthy RGCs, while the mTOR-independent induction of autophagy reduced protein accumulation and restored neurite outgrowth in diseased OPTN-E50K RGCs. Taken together, these results highlight an important balance between autophagy and mTORC1 signaling essential for RGC homeostasis, while disruption to these pathways contributes to neurodegenerative features in glaucoma, providing a potential therapeutic target to prevent neurodegeneration.