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Zhang C, Shi G, Meng Q, Hu R, Li Y, Hu G, Wang K, Huang M. An approach based on a combination of toxicological experiments and in silico predictions to investigate the adverse outcome pathway (AOP) of paraquat neuro-immunotoxicity. JOURNAL OF HAZARDOUS MATERIALS 2024; 473:134607. [PMID: 38761765 DOI: 10.1016/j.jhazmat.2024.134607] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/29/2024] [Revised: 04/30/2024] [Accepted: 05/11/2024] [Indexed: 05/20/2024]
Abstract
Paraquat (PQ) exposure is strongly associated with neurotoxicity. However, research on the neurotoxicity mechanisms of PQ varies in terms of endpoints of toxic assessment, resulting in a great challenge to understand the early neurotoxic effects of PQ. In this study, we developed an adverse outcome pathway (AOP) to investigate PQ-induced neuro-immunotoxicity from an immunological perspective, combining of traditional toxicology methods and computer simulations. In vivo, PQ can microstructurally lead to an early synaptic loss in the brain mice, which is a large degree regarded as a main reason for cognitive impairment to mice behavior. Both in vitro and in vivo demonstrated synapse loss is caused by excessive activation of the complement C1q/C3-CD11b pathway, which mediates microglial phagocytosis dysfunction. Additionally, the interaction between PQ and C1q was validated by molecular simulation docking. Our findings extend the AOP framework related to PQ neurotoxicity from a neuro-immunotoxic perspective, highlighting C1q activation as the initiating event for PQ-induced neuro-immunotoxicity. In addition, downstream complement cascades induce abnormal microglial phagocytosis, resulting in reduced synaptic density and subsequent non-motor dysfunction. These findings deepen our understanding of neurotoxicity and provide a theoretical basis for ecological risk assessment of PQ.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chunhui Zhang
- School of Public Health, Ningxia Medical University, China; Key Laboratory of Environmental Factors and Chronic Disease Control, No.1160, the Street of Shengli, Xingqing District, Yinchuan, Ningxia, China
| | - Ge Shi
- School of Public Health, Ningxia Medical University, China; Key Laboratory of Environmental Factors and Chronic Disease Control, No.1160, the Street of Shengli, Xingqing District, Yinchuan, Ningxia, China
| | - Qi Meng
- School of Public Health, Ningxia Medical University, China; Key Laboratory of Environmental Factors and Chronic Disease Control, No.1160, the Street of Shengli, Xingqing District, Yinchuan, Ningxia, China
| | - Rong Hu
- School of Public Health, Ningxia Medical University, China; Key Laboratory of Environmental Factors and Chronic Disease Control, No.1160, the Street of Shengli, Xingqing District, Yinchuan, Ningxia, China
| | - Yang Li
- School of Public Health, Ningxia Medical University, China; Key Laboratory of Environmental Factors and Chronic Disease Control, No.1160, the Street of Shengli, Xingqing District, Yinchuan, Ningxia, China
| | - Guiling Hu
- School of Public Health, Ningxia Medical University, China; Key Laboratory of Environmental Factors and Chronic Disease Control, No.1160, the Street of Shengli, Xingqing District, Yinchuan, Ningxia, China
| | - Kaidong Wang
- School of Public Health, Ningxia Medical University, China; Key Laboratory of Environmental Factors and Chronic Disease Control, No.1160, the Street of Shengli, Xingqing District, Yinchuan, Ningxia, China.
| | - Min Huang
- School of Public Health, Ningxia Medical University, China; Key Laboratory of Environmental Factors and Chronic Disease Control, No.1160, the Street of Shengli, Xingqing District, Yinchuan, Ningxia, China.
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2
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Pizzirusso G, Preka E, Goikolea J, Aguilar-Ruiz C, Rodriguez-Rodriguez P, Vazquez-Cabrera G, Laterza S, Latorre-Leal M, Eroli F, Blomgren K, Maioli S, Nilsson P, Fragkopoulou A, Fisahn A, Arroyo-García LE. Dynamic microglia alterations associate with hippocampal network impairments: A turning point in amyloid pathology progression. Brain Behav Immun 2024; 119:286-300. [PMID: 38608739 DOI: 10.1016/j.bbi.2024.04.009] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/21/2023] [Revised: 03/12/2024] [Accepted: 04/09/2024] [Indexed: 04/14/2024] Open
Abstract
Alzheimer's disease is a progressive neurological disorder causing memory loss and cognitive decline. The underlying causes of cognitive deterioration and neurodegeneration remain unclear, leading to a lack of effective strategies to prevent dementia. Recent evidence highlights the role of neuroinflammation, particularly involving microglia, in Alzheimer's disease onset and progression. Characterizing the initial phase of Alzheimer's disease can lead to the discovery of new biomarkers and therapeutic targets, facilitating timely interventions for effective treatments. We used the AppNL-G-F knock-in mouse model, which resembles the amyloid pathology and neuroinflammatory characteristics of Alzheimer's disease, to investigate the transition from a pre-plaque to an early plaque stage with a combined functional and molecular approach. Our experiments show a progressive decrease in the power of cognition-relevant hippocampal gamma oscillations during the early stage of amyloid pathology, together with a modification of fast-spiking interneuron intrinsic properties and postsynaptic input. Consistently, transcriptomic analyses revealed that these effects are accompanied by changes in synaptic function-associated pathways. Concurrently, homeostasis- and inflammatory-related microglia signature genes were downregulated. Moreover, we found a decrease in Iba1-positive microglia in the hippocampus that correlates with plaque aggregation and neuronal dysfunction. Collectively, these findings support the hypothesis that microglia play a protective role during the early stages of amyloid pathology by preventing plaque aggregation, supporting neuronal homeostasis, and overall preserving the oscillatory network's functionality. These results suggest that the early alteration of microglia dynamics could be a pivotal event in the progression of Alzheimer's disease, potentially triggering plaque deposition, impairment of fast-spiking interneurons, and the breakdown of the oscillatory circuitry in the hippocampus.
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Affiliation(s)
- Giusy Pizzirusso
- Department of Neurobiology, Care Sciences and Society, Division of Neurogeriatrics, Karolinska Institutet, Sweden; Department of Women's and Children's Health, Karolinska Institutet, Sweden
| | - Efthalia Preka
- Department of Women's and Children's Health, Karolinska Institutet, Sweden
| | - Julen Goikolea
- Department of Neurobiology, Care Sciences and Society, Division of Neurogeriatrics, Karolinska Institutet, Sweden
| | - Celia Aguilar-Ruiz
- Department of Neurobiology, Care Sciences and Society, Division of Neurogeriatrics, Karolinska Institutet, Sweden
| | - Patricia Rodriguez-Rodriguez
- Department of Neurobiology, Care Sciences and Society, Division of Neurogeriatrics, Karolinska Institutet, Sweden
| | | | - Simona Laterza
- Department of Neurobiology, Care Sciences and Society, Division of Neurogeriatrics, Karolinska Institutet, Sweden
| | - Maria Latorre-Leal
- Department of Neurobiology, Care Sciences and Society, Division of Neurogeriatrics, Karolinska Institutet, Sweden
| | - Francesca Eroli
- Department of Neurobiology, Care Sciences and Society, Division of Neurogeriatrics, Karolinska Institutet, Sweden
| | - Klas Blomgren
- Department of Women's and Children's Health, Karolinska Institutet, Sweden; Pediatric Oncology, Karolinska University Hospital, Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Silvia Maioli
- Department of Neurobiology, Care Sciences and Society, Division of Neurogeriatrics, Karolinska Institutet, Sweden
| | - Per Nilsson
- Department of Neurobiology, Care Sciences and Society, Division of Neurogeriatrics, Karolinska Institutet, Sweden
| | | | - André Fisahn
- Department of Women's and Children's Health, Karolinska Institutet, Sweden.
| | - Luis Enrique Arroyo-García
- Department of Neurobiology, Care Sciences and Society, Division of Neurogeriatrics, Karolinska Institutet, Sweden; Department of Women's and Children's Health, Karolinska Institutet, Sweden.
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3
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Dong Q, Fu H, Jiang H. The role of exosome-shuttled miRNAs in heavy metal-induced peripheral tissues and neuroinflammation in Alzheimer's disease. Biomed Pharmacother 2024; 176:116880. [PMID: 38850652 DOI: 10.1016/j.biopha.2024.116880] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/17/2024] [Revised: 05/11/2024] [Accepted: 06/03/2024] [Indexed: 06/10/2024] Open
Abstract
Heavy metal-induced neuroinflammation is a significant pathophysiologic mechanism in Alzheimer's disease (AD). Microglia-mediated neuroinflammation plays a crucial role in the pathogenesis of AD. Multiple miRNAs are differentially expressed in peripheral tissues after heavy metal exposure, and increasing evidence suggests that they are involved in AD progression by regulating microglial homeostasis. Exosomes, which are capable of loading miRNAs and crossing the bloodbrain barrier, serve as mediators of communication between peripheral tissues and the brain. In this review, we summarize the current evidence on the link between miRNAs in peripheral tissues and neuroinflammation in AD after heavy metal exposure and propose a role for miRNAs in the microglial neurodegenerative phenotype (MGnD) of AD. This study will help to elucidate the link between peripheral tissue damage and MGnD-mediated neuroinflammation in AD after heavy metal exposure. Additionally, we summarize the regulatory effects of natural compounds on peripheral tissue-derived miRNAs, which could be potential therapeutic targets for natural compounds to regulate peripheral tissue-derived exosomal miRNAs to ameliorate heavy metal-induced MGnD-mediated neuroinflammation in patients with AD after heavy metal exposure.
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Affiliation(s)
- Qing Dong
- Department of Health Laboratory Technology, School of Public Health, China Medical University, Shenyang, Liaoning 110122, China.
| | - Huanyong Fu
- Department of Health Laboratory Technology, School of Public Health, China Medical University, Shenyang, Liaoning 110122, China.
| | - Hong Jiang
- Key Laboratory of Environmental Stress and Chronic Disease Control and Prevention, Ministry of Education, China Medical University, Shenyang, Liaoning 110122, China; The Key Laboratory of Liaoning Province on Toxic and Biological Effects of Arsenic, Shenyang, Liaoning 110122, China; Department of Health Laboratory Technology, School of Public Health, China Medical University, Shenyang, Liaoning 110122, China.
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4
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Zhao Y, Liu K, Wang Y, Ma Y, Guo W, Shi C. Human-mouse chimeric brain models constructed from iPSC-derived brain cells: Applications and challenges. Exp Neurol 2024; 379:114848. [PMID: 38857749 DOI: 10.1016/j.expneurol.2024.114848] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/08/2024] [Revised: 05/27/2024] [Accepted: 06/06/2024] [Indexed: 06/12/2024]
Abstract
The establishment of reliable human brain models is pivotal for elucidating specific disease mechanisms and facilitating the discovery of novel therapeutic strategies for human brain disorders. Human induced pluripotent stem cell (iPSC) exhibit remarkable self-renewal capabilities and can differentiate into specialized cell types. This makes them a valuable cell source for xenogeneic or allogeneic transplantation. Human-mouse chimeric brain models constructed from iPSC-derived brain cells have emerged as valuable tools for modeling human brain diseases and exploring potential therapeutic strategies for brain disorders. Moreover, the integration and functionality of grafted stem cells has been effectively assessed using these models. Therefore, this review provides a comprehensive overview of recent progress in differentiating human iPSC into various highly specialized types of brain cells. This review evaluates the characteristics and functions of the human-mouse chimeric brain model. We highlight its potential roles in brain function and its ability to reconstruct neural circuitry in vivo. Additionally, we elucidate factors that influence the integration and differentiation of human iPSC-derived brain cells in vivo. This review further sought to provide suitable research models for cell transplantation therapy. These research models provide new insights into neuropsychiatric disorders, infectious diseases, and brain injuries, thereby advancing related clinical and academic research.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ya Zhao
- Laboratory Animal Center, Fourth Military Medical University, Xi'an, Shaanxi 710032, PR China
| | - Ke Liu
- Laboratory Animal Center, Fourth Military Medical University, Xi'an, Shaanxi 710032, PR China; Gansu University of traditional Chinese medicine, Lanzhou 730030, PR China
| | - Yinghua Wang
- Medical College of Yan'an University, Yan'an 716000, PR China
| | - Yifan Ma
- Laboratory Animal Center, Fourth Military Medical University, Xi'an, Shaanxi 710032, PR China; Gansu University of traditional Chinese medicine, Lanzhou 730030, PR China
| | - Wenwen Guo
- Laboratory Animal Center, Fourth Military Medical University, Xi'an, Shaanxi 710032, PR China
| | - Changhong Shi
- Laboratory Animal Center, Fourth Military Medical University, Xi'an, Shaanxi 710032, PR China.
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5
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Wang C, Acosta D, McNutt M, Bian J, Ma A, Fu H, Ma Q. A single-cell and spatial RNA-seq database for Alzheimer's disease (ssREAD). Nat Commun 2024; 15:4710. [PMID: 38844475 PMCID: PMC11156951 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-024-49133-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/04/2023] [Accepted: 05/21/2024] [Indexed: 06/09/2024] Open
Abstract
Alzheimer's Disease (AD) pathology has been increasingly explored through single-cell and single-nucleus RNA-sequencing (scRNA-seq & snRNA-seq) and spatial transcriptomics (ST). However, the surge in data demands a comprehensive, user-friendly repository. Addressing this, we introduce a single-cell and spatial RNA-seq database for Alzheimer's disease (ssREAD). It offers a broader spectrum of AD-related datasets, an optimized analytical pipeline, and improved usability. The database encompasses 1,053 samples (277 integrated datasets) from 67 AD-related scRNA-seq & snRNA-seq studies, totaling 7,332,202 cells. Additionally, it archives 381 ST datasets from 18 human and mouse brain studies. Each dataset is annotated with details such as species, gender, brain region, disease/control status, age, and AD Braak stages. ssREAD also provides an analysis suite for cell clustering, identification of differentially expressed and spatially variable genes, cell-type-specific marker genes and regulons, and spot deconvolution for integrative analysis. ssREAD is freely available at https://bmblx.bmi.osumc.edu/ssread/ .
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Affiliation(s)
- Cankun Wang
- Department of Biomedical Informatics, The Ohio State University, Columbus, OH, 43210, USA
| | - Diana Acosta
- Department of Neuroscience, The Ohio State University, Columbus, OH, 43210, USA
| | - Megan McNutt
- Department of Biomedical Informatics, The Ohio State University, Columbus, OH, 43210, USA
| | - Jiang Bian
- Department of Health Outcomes & Biomedical Informatics, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL, 32606, USA
| | - Anjun Ma
- Department of Biomedical Informatics, The Ohio State University, Columbus, OH, 43210, USA
| | - Hongjun Fu
- Department of Neuroscience, The Ohio State University, Columbus, OH, 43210, USA.
- Chronic Brain Injury Program, The Ohio State University, Columbus, OH, 43210, USA.
| | - Qin Ma
- Department of Biomedical Informatics, The Ohio State University, Columbus, OH, 43210, USA.
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6
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Pumo A, Legeay S. The dichotomous activities of microglia: A potential driver for phenotypic heterogeneity in Alzheimer's disease. Brain Res 2024; 1832:148817. [PMID: 38395249 DOI: 10.1016/j.brainres.2024.148817] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/30/2023] [Revised: 01/28/2024] [Accepted: 02/19/2024] [Indexed: 02/25/2024]
Abstract
Alzheimer's disease (AD) is a leading cause of dementia, characterized by two defining neuropathological hallmarks: amyloid plaques composed of Aβ aggregates and neurofibrillary pathology. Recent research suggests that microglia have both beneficial and detrimental effects in the development of AD. A new theory proposes that microglia play a beneficial role in the early stages of the disease but become harmful in later stages. Further investigations are needed to gain a comprehensive understanding of this shift in microglia's function. This transition is likely influenced by specific conditions, including spatial, temporal, and transcriptional factors, which ultimately lead to the deterioration of microglial functionality. Additionally, recent studies have also highlighted the potential influence of microglia diversity on the various manifestations of AD. By deciphering the multiple states of microglia and the phenotypic heterogeneity in AD, significant progress can be made towards personalized medicine and better treatment outcomes for individuals affected by AD.
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Affiliation(s)
- Anna Pumo
- Université d'Angers, Faculté de Santé, Département Pharmacie, 16, Boulevard Daviers, Angers 49045, France.
| | - Samuel Legeay
- Université d'Angers, Faculté de Santé, Département Pharmacie, 16, Boulevard Daviers, Angers 49045, France; Univ Angers, Inserm, CNRS, MINT, SFR ICAT, Angers F-49000, France
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7
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Benjamin KJM, Chen Q, Eagles NJ, Huuki-Myers LA, Collado-Torres L, Stolz JM, Pertea G, Shin JH, Paquola ACM, Hyde TM, Kleinman JE, Jaffe AE, Han S, Weinberger DR. Analysis of gene expression in the postmortem brain of neurotypical Black Americans reveals contributions of genetic ancestry. Nat Neurosci 2024; 27:1064-1074. [PMID: 38769152 PMCID: PMC11156587 DOI: 10.1038/s41593-024-01636-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/26/2023] [Accepted: 03/29/2024] [Indexed: 05/22/2024]
Abstract
Ancestral differences in genomic variation affect the regulation of gene expression; however, most gene expression studies have been limited to European ancestry samples or adjusted to identify ancestry-independent associations. Here, we instead examined the impact of genetic ancestry on gene expression and DNA methylation in the postmortem brain tissue of admixed Black American neurotypical individuals to identify ancestry-dependent and ancestry-independent contributions. Ancestry-associated differentially expressed genes (DEGs), transcripts and gene networks, while notably not implicating neurons, are enriched for genes related to the immune response and vascular tissue and explain up to 26% of heritability for ischemic stroke, 27% of heritability for Parkinson disease and 30% of heritability for Alzheimer's disease. Ancestry-associated DEGs also show general enrichment for the heritability of diverse immune-related traits but depletion for psychiatric-related traits. We also compared Black and non-Hispanic white Americans, confirming most ancestry-associated DEGs. Our results delineate the extent to which genetic ancestry affects differences in gene expression in the human brain and the implications for brain illness risk.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kynon J M Benjamin
- Lieber Institute for Brain Development, Baltimore, MD, USA.
- Department of Neurology, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, USA.
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, USA.
| | - Qiang Chen
- Lieber Institute for Brain Development, Baltimore, MD, USA
| | | | | | - Leonardo Collado-Torres
- Lieber Institute for Brain Development, Baltimore, MD, USA
- Center for Computational Biology, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD, USA
| | - Joshua M Stolz
- Lieber Institute for Brain Development, Baltimore, MD, USA
| | - Geo Pertea
- Lieber Institute for Brain Development, Baltimore, MD, USA
| | - Joo Heon Shin
- Lieber Institute for Brain Development, Baltimore, MD, USA
| | - Apuã C M Paquola
- Lieber Institute for Brain Development, Baltimore, MD, USA
- Department of Neurology, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, USA
| | - Thomas M Hyde
- Lieber Institute for Brain Development, Baltimore, MD, USA
- Department of Neurology, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, USA
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, USA
| | - Joel E Kleinman
- Lieber Institute for Brain Development, Baltimore, MD, USA
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, USA
| | - Andrew E Jaffe
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, USA
- Department of Neuroscience, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, USA
- Neumora Therapeutics, Watertown, MA, USA
| | - Shizhong Han
- Lieber Institute for Brain Development, Baltimore, MD, USA.
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, USA.
- Department of Genetic Medicine, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, USA.
| | - Daniel R Weinberger
- Lieber Institute for Brain Development, Baltimore, MD, USA.
- Department of Neurology, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, USA.
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, USA.
- Department of Neuroscience, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, USA.
- Department of Genetic Medicine, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, USA.
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8
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Raghav D, Shukla S, Jadiya P. Mitochondrial calcium signaling in non-neuronal cells: Implications for Alzheimer's disease pathogenesis. Biochim Biophys Acta Mol Basis Dis 2024; 1870:167169. [PMID: 38631408 PMCID: PMC11111334 DOI: 10.1016/j.bbadis.2024.167169] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/07/2024] [Revised: 03/22/2024] [Accepted: 04/08/2024] [Indexed: 04/19/2024]
Abstract
Mitochondrial dysregulation is pivotal in Alzheimer's disease (AD) pathogenesis. Calcium governs vital mitochondrial processes impacting energy conversion, oxidative stress, and cell death signaling. Disruptions in mitochondrial calcium (mCa2+) handling induce calcium overload and trigger the opening of mitochondrial permeability transition pore, ensuing energy deprivation and resulting in AD-related neuronal cell death. However, the role of mCa2+ in non-neuronal cells (microglia, astrocytes, oligodendrocytes, endothelial cells, and pericytes) remains elusive. This review provides a comprehensive exploration of mitochondrial heterogeneity and calcium signaling, offering insights into specific differences among various brain cell types in AD.
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Affiliation(s)
- Darpan Raghav
- Department of Internal Medicine, Section of Gerontology and Geriatric Medicine, Section of Molecular Medicine, Wake Forest University School of Medicine, Winston-Salem, NC 27157, USA
| | - Shatakshi Shukla
- Department of Internal Medicine, Section of Gerontology and Geriatric Medicine, Section of Molecular Medicine, Wake Forest University School of Medicine, Winston-Salem, NC 27157, USA
| | - Pooja Jadiya
- Department of Internal Medicine, Section of Gerontology and Geriatric Medicine, Section of Molecular Medicine, Wake Forest University School of Medicine, Winston-Salem, NC 27157, USA.
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9
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Kozlova A, Zhang S, Sudwarts A, Zhang H, Smirnou S, Sun X, Stephenson K, Zhao X, Jamison B, Ponnusamy M, He X, Pang ZP, Sanders AR, Bellen HJ, Thinakaran G, Duan J. Alzheimer's disease risk allele of PICALM causes detrimental lipid droplets in microglia. RESEARCH SQUARE 2024:rs.3.rs-4407146. [PMID: 38826437 PMCID: PMC11142308 DOI: 10.21203/rs.3.rs-4407146/v1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/04/2024]
Abstract
Despite genome-wide association studies of late-onset Alzheimer's disease (LOAD) having identified many genetic risk loci1-6, the underlying disease mechanisms remain largely unknown. Determining causal disease variants and their LOAD-relevant cellular phenotypes has been a challenge. Leveraging our approach for identifying functional GWAS risk variants showing allele-specific open chromatin (ASoC)7, we systematically identified putative causal LOAD risk variants in human induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSC)-derived neurons, astrocytes, and microglia (MG) and linked PICALM risk allele to a previously unappreciated MG-specific role of PICALM in lipid droplet (LD) accumulation. ASoC mapping uncovered functional risk variants for 26 LOAD risk loci, mostly MG-specific. At the MG-specific PICALM locus, the LOAD risk allele of rs10792832 reduced transcription factor (PU.1) binding and PICALM expression, impairing the uptake of amyloid beta (Aβ) and myelin debris. Interestingly, MG with PICALM risk allele showed transcriptional enrichment of pathways for cholesterol synthesis and LD formation. Genetic and pharmacological perturbations of MG further established a causal link between the reduced PICALM expression, LD accumulation, and phagocytosis deficits. Our work elucidates the selective LOAD vulnerability in microglia for the PICALM locus through detrimental LD accumulation, providing a neurobiological basis that can be exploited for developing novel clinical interventions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alena Kozlova
- Center for Psychiatric Genetics, NorthShore University HealthSystem, Evanston, IL 60201, USA
| | - Siwei Zhang
- Center for Psychiatric Genetics, NorthShore University HealthSystem, Evanston, IL 60201, USA
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Neuroscience, The University of Chicago, Chicago, IL 60637, USA
| | - Ari Sudwarts
- Byrd Alzheimer’s Center and Research Institute, University of South Florida, Tampa, FL 33613, USA
- Department of Molecular Medicine, Morsani College of Medicine, University of South Florida, Tampa, FL 33612, USA
| | - Hanwen Zhang
- Center for Psychiatric Genetics, NorthShore University HealthSystem, Evanston, IL 60201, USA
| | - Stanislau Smirnou
- Byrd Alzheimer’s Center and Research Institute, University of South Florida, Tampa, FL 33613, USA
- Department of Molecular Medicine, Morsani College of Medicine, University of South Florida, Tampa, FL 33612, USA
| | - Xiaotong Sun
- Department of Human Genetics, The University of Chicago, Chicago, IL 60637, USA
| | - Kimberly Stephenson
- Center for Psychiatric Genetics, NorthShore University HealthSystem, Evanston, IL 60201, USA
| | - Xiaojie Zhao
- Center for Psychiatric Genetics, NorthShore University HealthSystem, Evanston, IL 60201, USA
| | - Brendan Jamison
- Center for Psychiatric Genetics, NorthShore University HealthSystem, Evanston, IL 60201, USA
| | - Moorthi Ponnusamy
- Byrd Alzheimer’s Center and Research Institute, University of South Florida, Tampa, FL 33613, USA
- Department of Molecular Medicine, Morsani College of Medicine, University of South Florida, Tampa, FL 33612, USA
| | - Xin He
- Department of Human Genetics, The University of Chicago, Chicago, IL 60637, USA
- Department of Neuroscience and Cell Biology, Child Health Institute of New Jersey, Rutgers Robert Wood Johnson Medical School, New Brunswick, NJ 08901, USA
| | - Zhiping P. Pang
- Grossman Institute for Neuroscience, Quantitative Biology and Human Behavior, The University of Chicago, Chicago, IL 60637, USA
| | - Alan R. Sanders
- Center for Psychiatric Genetics, NorthShore University HealthSystem, Evanston, IL 60201, USA
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Neuroscience, The University of Chicago, Chicago, IL 60637, USA
| | - Hugo J. Bellen
- Department of Molecular and Human Genetics, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX 77030, USA
- Jan and Dan Duncan Neurological Research Institute, Texas Children’s Hospital, Houston, TX 77030, USA
- Department of Neuroscience, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX 77030, USA
| | - Gopal Thinakaran
- Byrd Alzheimer’s Center and Research Institute, University of South Florida, Tampa, FL 33613, USA
- Department of Molecular Medicine, Morsani College of Medicine, University of South Florida, Tampa, FL 33612, USA
| | - Jubao Duan
- Center for Psychiatric Genetics, NorthShore University HealthSystem, Evanston, IL 60201, USA
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Neuroscience, The University of Chicago, Chicago, IL 60637, USA
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10
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Gouveia Roque C, Phatnani H, Hengst U. The broken Alzheimer's disease genome. CELL GENOMICS 2024; 4:100555. [PMID: 38697121 PMCID: PMC11099344 DOI: 10.1016/j.xgen.2024.100555] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/20/2023] [Revised: 02/25/2024] [Accepted: 04/07/2024] [Indexed: 05/04/2024]
Abstract
The complex pathobiology of late-onset Alzheimer's disease (AD) poses significant challenges to therapeutic and preventative interventions. Despite these difficulties, genomics and related disciplines are allowing fundamental mechanistic insights to emerge with clarity, particularly with the introduction of high-resolution sequencing technologies. After all, the disrupted processes at the interface between DNA and gene expression, which we call the broken AD genome, offer detailed quantitative evidence unrestrained by preconceived notions about the disease. In addition to highlighting biological pathways beyond the classical pathology hallmarks, these advances have revitalized drug discovery efforts and are driving improvements in clinical tools. We review genetic, epigenomic, and gene expression findings related to AD pathogenesis and explore how their integration enables a better understanding of the multicellular imbalances contributing to this heterogeneous condition. The frontiers opening on the back of these research milestones promise a future of AD care that is both more personalized and predictive.
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Affiliation(s)
- Cláudio Gouveia Roque
- Center for Genomics of Neurodegenerative Disease, New York Genome Center, New York, NY 10013, USA; The Taub Institute for Research on Alzheimer's Disease and the Aging Brain, Vagelos College of Physicians and Surgeons, Columbia University, New York, NY 10032, USA.
| | - Hemali Phatnani
- Center for Genomics of Neurodegenerative Disease, New York Genome Center, New York, NY 10013, USA; Department of Neurology, Center for Translational and Computational Neuroimmunology, Columbia University, New York, NY 10032, USA
| | - Ulrich Hengst
- The Taub Institute for Research on Alzheimer's Disease and the Aging Brain, Vagelos College of Physicians and Surgeons, Columbia University, New York, NY 10032, USA; Department of Pathology & Cell Biology, Vagelos College of Physicians and Surgeons, Columbia University, New York, NY 10032, USA.
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11
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Jiang S, Cai G, Yang Z, Shi H, Zeng H, Ye Q, Hu Z, Wang Z. Biomimetic Nanovesicles as a Dual Gene Delivery System for the Synergistic Gene Therapy of Alzheimer's Disease. ACS NANO 2024; 18:11753-11768. [PMID: 38649866 DOI: 10.1021/acsnano.3c13150] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 04/25/2024]
Abstract
The association between dysfunctional microglia and amyloid-β (Aβ) is a fundamental pathological event and increases the speed of Alzheimer's disease (AD). Additionally, the pathogenesis of AD is intricate and a single drug may not be enough to achieve a satisfactory therapeutic outcome. Herein, we reported a facile and effective gene therapy strategy for the modulation of microglia function and intervention of Aβ anabolism by ROS-responsive biomimetic exosome-liposome hybrid nanovesicles (designated as TSEL). The biomimetic nanovesicles codelivery β-site amyloid precursor protein cleaving enzyme-1 (BACE1) siRNA (siBACE1) and TREM2 plasmid (pTREM2) gene drug efficiently penetrate the blood-brain barrier and enhance the drug accumulation at AD lesions with the help of exosomes homing ability and angiopep-2 peptides. Specifically, an upregulation of TREM2 expression can reprogram microglia from a pro-inflammatory M1 phenotype to an anti-inflammatory M2 phenotype while also restoring its capacity to phagocytose Aβ and its nerve repair function. In addition, siRNA reduces the production of Aβ plaques at the source by knocking out the BACE1 gene, which is expected to further enhance the therapeutic effect of AD. The in vivo study suggests that TSEL through the synergistic effect of two gene drugs can ameliorate APP/PS1 mice cognitive impairment by regulating the activated microglial phenotype, reducing the accumulation of Aβ, and preventing the retriggering of neuroinflammation. This strategy employs biomimetic nanovesicles for the delivery of dual nucleic acids, achieving synergistic gene therapy for AD, thus offering more options for the treatment of AD.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sujun Jiang
- Fujian Provincial Key Laboratory of Brain Aging and Neurodegenerative Diseases, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Fujian Medical University, Fuzhou, Fujian 350122, China
- CAS Key Laboratory for Biomedical Effects of Nanomaterials and Nanosafety, CAS Center for Excellence in Nanoscience, National Center for Nanoscience and Technology, Beijing 100190, China
| | - Guoen Cai
- Department of Neurology, Center for Cognitive Neurology, Institute of Clinical Neurology, Fujian Medical University Union Hospital, Fuzhou 350001, China
| | - Zhimin Yang
- Fujian Provincial Key Laboratory of Brain Aging and Neurodegenerative Diseases, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Fujian Medical University, Fuzhou, Fujian 350122, China
- CAS Key Laboratory for Biomedical Effects of Nanomaterials and Nanosafety, CAS Center for Excellence in Nanoscience, National Center for Nanoscience and Technology, Beijing 100190, China
| | - Haoyuan Shi
- Fujian Provincial Key Laboratory of Brain Aging and Neurodegenerative Diseases, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Fujian Medical University, Fuzhou, Fujian 350122, China
- CAS Key Laboratory for Biomedical Effects of Nanomaterials and Nanosafety, CAS Center for Excellence in Nanoscience, National Center for Nanoscience and Technology, Beijing 100190, China
| | - Huajie Zeng
- Fujian Provincial Key Laboratory of Brain Aging and Neurodegenerative Diseases, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Fujian Medical University, Fuzhou, Fujian 350122, China
| | - Qinyong Ye
- Department of Neurology, Center for Cognitive Neurology, Institute of Clinical Neurology, Fujian Medical University Union Hospital, Fuzhou 350001, China
| | - Zhiyuan Hu
- Fujian Provincial Key Laboratory of Brain Aging and Neurodegenerative Diseases, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Fujian Medical University, Fuzhou, Fujian 350122, China
- CAS Key Laboratory for Biomedical Effects of Nanomaterials and Nanosafety, CAS Center for Excellence in Nanoscience, National Center for Nanoscience and Technology, Beijing 100190, China
- School of Nanoscience and Technology, Sino-Danish College, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100049, China
- School of Chemical Engineering and Pharmacy, Wuhan Institute of Technology, Wuhan 430205, China
| | - Zihua Wang
- Fujian Provincial Key Laboratory of Brain Aging and Neurodegenerative Diseases, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Fujian Medical University, Fuzhou, Fujian 350122, China
- CAS Key Laboratory for Biomedical Effects of Nanomaterials and Nanosafety, CAS Center for Excellence in Nanoscience, National Center for Nanoscience and Technology, Beijing 100190, China
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12
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Mancuso R, Fattorelli N, Martinez-Muriana A, Davis E, Wolfs L, Van Den Daele J, Geric I, Premereur J, Polanco P, Bijnens B, Preman P, Serneels L, Poovathingal S, Balusu S, Verfaillie C, Fiers M, De Strooper B. Xenografted human microglia display diverse transcriptomic states in response to Alzheimer's disease-related amyloid-β pathology. Nat Neurosci 2024; 27:886-900. [PMID: 38539015 PMCID: PMC11089003 DOI: 10.1038/s41593-024-01600-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/28/2022] [Accepted: 02/14/2024] [Indexed: 05/14/2024]
Abstract
Microglia are central players in Alzheimer's disease pathology but analyzing microglial states in human brain samples is challenging due to genetic diversity, postmortem delay and admixture of pathologies. To circumvent these issues, here we generated 138,577 single-cell expression profiles of human stem cell-derived microglia xenotransplanted in the brain of the AppNL-G-F model of amyloid pathology and wild-type controls. Xenografted human microglia adopt a disease-associated profile similar to that seen in mouse microglia, but display a more pronounced human leukocyte antigen or HLA state, likely related to antigen presentation in response to amyloid plaques. The human microglial response also involves a pro-inflammatory cytokine/chemokine cytokine response microglia or CRM response to oligomeric Aβ oligomers. Genetic deletion of TREM2 or APOE as well as APOE polymorphisms and TREM2R47H expression in the transplanted microglia modulate these responses differentially. The expression of other Alzheimer's disease risk genes is differentially regulated across the distinct cell states elicited in response to amyloid pathology. Thus, we have identified multiple transcriptomic cell states adopted by human microglia in a multipronged response to Alzheimer's disease-related pathology, which should be taken into account in translational studies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Renzo Mancuso
- Microglia and Inflammation in Neurological Disorders (MIND) Lab, VIB Center for Molecular Neurology, VIB, Antwerp, Belgium.
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, University of Antwerp, Antwerp, Belgium.
- Centre for Brain and Disease Research, Flanders Institute for Biotechnology (VIB), Leuven, Belgium.
| | - Nicola Fattorelli
- Centre for Brain and Disease Research, Flanders Institute for Biotechnology (VIB), Leuven, Belgium
- Department of Neurosciences and Leuven Brain Institute, KU Leuven, Leuven, Belgium
| | - Anna Martinez-Muriana
- Centre for Brain and Disease Research, Flanders Institute for Biotechnology (VIB), Leuven, Belgium
- Department of Neurosciences and Leuven Brain Institute, KU Leuven, Leuven, Belgium
| | - Emma Davis
- UK Dementia Research Institute at UCL, University College London, London, UK
| | - Leen Wolfs
- Centre for Brain and Disease Research, Flanders Institute for Biotechnology (VIB), Leuven, Belgium
- Department of Neurosciences and Leuven Brain Institute, KU Leuven, Leuven, Belgium
| | - Johanna Van Den Daele
- Department of Development and Regeneration, Stem Cell Biology and Embryology, KU Leuven Stem Cell Institute, Leuven, Belgium
| | - Ivana Geric
- Centre for Brain and Disease Research, Flanders Institute for Biotechnology (VIB), Leuven, Belgium
- Department of Neurosciences and Leuven Brain Institute, KU Leuven, Leuven, Belgium
| | - Jessie Premereur
- Microglia and Inflammation in Neurological Disorders (MIND) Lab, VIB Center for Molecular Neurology, VIB, Antwerp, Belgium
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, University of Antwerp, Antwerp, Belgium
| | - Paula Polanco
- Microglia and Inflammation in Neurological Disorders (MIND) Lab, VIB Center for Molecular Neurology, VIB, Antwerp, Belgium
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, University of Antwerp, Antwerp, Belgium
| | - Baukje Bijnens
- Microglia and Inflammation in Neurological Disorders (MIND) Lab, VIB Center for Molecular Neurology, VIB, Antwerp, Belgium
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, University of Antwerp, Antwerp, Belgium
| | - Pranav Preman
- Centre for Brain and Disease Research, Flanders Institute for Biotechnology (VIB), Leuven, Belgium
- Department of Neurosciences and Leuven Brain Institute, KU Leuven, Leuven, Belgium
| | - Lutgarde Serneels
- Centre for Brain and Disease Research, Flanders Institute for Biotechnology (VIB), Leuven, Belgium
- Department of Neurosciences and Leuven Brain Institute, KU Leuven, Leuven, Belgium
| | - Suresh Poovathingal
- Centre for Brain and Disease Research, Flanders Institute for Biotechnology (VIB), Leuven, Belgium
| | - Sriram Balusu
- Centre for Brain and Disease Research, Flanders Institute for Biotechnology (VIB), Leuven, Belgium
- Department of Neurosciences and Leuven Brain Institute, KU Leuven, Leuven, Belgium
| | - Catherine Verfaillie
- Department of Development and Regeneration, Stem Cell Biology and Embryology, KU Leuven Stem Cell Institute, Leuven, Belgium
| | - Mark Fiers
- Centre for Brain and Disease Research, Flanders Institute for Biotechnology (VIB), Leuven, Belgium
- Department of Neurosciences and Leuven Brain Institute, KU Leuven, Leuven, Belgium
- UK Dementia Research Institute at UCL, University College London, London, UK
| | - Bart De Strooper
- Centre for Brain and Disease Research, Flanders Institute for Biotechnology (VIB), Leuven, Belgium.
- Department of Neurosciences and Leuven Brain Institute, KU Leuven, Leuven, Belgium.
- UK Dementia Research Institute at UCL, University College London, London, UK.
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13
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Scholz R, Brösamle D, Yuan X, Beyer M, Neher JJ. Epigenetic control of microglial immune responses. Immunol Rev 2024; 323:209-226. [PMID: 38491845 DOI: 10.1111/imr.13317] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/18/2023] [Accepted: 03/02/2024] [Indexed: 03/18/2024]
Abstract
Microglia, the major population of brain-resident macrophages, are now recognized as a heterogeneous population comprising several cell subtypes with different (so far mostly supposed) functions in health and disease. A number of studies have performed molecular characterization of these different microglial activation states over the last years making use of "omics" technologies, that is transcriptomics, proteomics and, less frequently, epigenomics profiling. These approaches offer the possibility to identify disease mechanisms, discover novel diagnostic biomarkers, and develop new therapeutic strategies. Here, we focus on epigenetic profiling as a means to understand microglial immune responses beyond what other omics methods can offer, that is, revealing past and present molecular responses, gene regulatory networks and potential future response trajectories, and defining cell subtype-specific disease relevance through mapping non-coding genetic variants. We review the current knowledge in the field regarding epigenetic regulation of microglial identity and function, provide an exemplary analysis that demonstrates the advantages of performing joint transcriptomic and epigenomic profiling of single microglial cells and discuss how comprehensive epigenetic analyses may enhance our understanding of microglial pathophysiology.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rebekka Scholz
- Immunogenomics & Neurodegeneration, German Center for Neurodegenerative Diseases (DZNE), Bonn, Germany
- Systems Medicine, German Center for Neurodegenerative Diseases (DZNE), Bonn, Germany
| | - Desirée Brösamle
- Biomedical Center (BMC), Biochemistry, Faculty of Medicine, LMU Munich, Munich, Germany
- Neuroimmunology and Neurodegenerative Diseases, German Center for Neurodegenerative Diseases (DZNE), Munich, Germany
- Department of Cellular Neurology, Hertie Institute for Clinical Brain Research, University of Tübingen, Tübingen, Germany
- Munich Cluster for Systems Neurology (SyNergy), Munich, Germany
| | - Xidi Yuan
- Biomedical Center (BMC), Biochemistry, Faculty of Medicine, LMU Munich, Munich, Germany
- Neuroimmunology and Neurodegenerative Diseases, German Center for Neurodegenerative Diseases (DZNE), Munich, Germany
- Department of Cellular Neurology, Hertie Institute for Clinical Brain Research, University of Tübingen, Tübingen, Germany
- Munich Cluster for Systems Neurology (SyNergy), Munich, Germany
| | - Marc Beyer
- Immunogenomics & Neurodegeneration, German Center for Neurodegenerative Diseases (DZNE), Bonn, Germany
- Systems Medicine, German Center for Neurodegenerative Diseases (DZNE), Bonn, Germany
- Platform for Single Cell Genomics and Epigenomics, German Center for Neurodegenerative Diseases (DZNE) and University of Bonn and West German Genome Center, Bonn, Germany
| | - Jonas J Neher
- Biomedical Center (BMC), Biochemistry, Faculty of Medicine, LMU Munich, Munich, Germany
- Neuroimmunology and Neurodegenerative Diseases, German Center for Neurodegenerative Diseases (DZNE), Munich, Germany
- Department of Cellular Neurology, Hertie Institute for Clinical Brain Research, University of Tübingen, Tübingen, Germany
- Munich Cluster for Systems Neurology (SyNergy), Munich, Germany
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14
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Escoubas CC, Molofsky AV. Microglia as integrators of brain-associated molecular patterns. Trends Immunol 2024; 45:358-370. [PMID: 38658221 DOI: 10.1016/j.it.2024.03.009] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/01/2024] [Revised: 03/19/2024] [Accepted: 03/21/2024] [Indexed: 04/26/2024]
Abstract
Microglia are brain-resident macrophages that play key roles in brain development and experience dependent plasticity. In this review we discuss recent findings regarding the molecular mechanisms through which mammalian microglia sense the unique molecular patterns of the homeostatic brain. We propose that microglial function is acutely controlled in response to 'brain-associated molecular patterns' (BAMPs) that function as indicators of neuronal activity and neural circuit remodeling. A further layer of regulation comes from instructive cytokine cues that define unique microglial functional states. A systematic investigation of the receptors and signaling pathways that mediate these two regulatory axes may begin to define a functional code for microglia-neuron interactions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Caroline C Escoubas
- Departments of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences/Weill Institute for Neurosciences, University of California San Francisco, San Francisco, CA 94158, USA
| | - Anna V Molofsky
- Departments of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences/Weill Institute for Neurosciences, University of California San Francisco, San Francisco, CA 94158, USA; Kavli Institute for Fundamental Neuroscience, University of California San Francisco, San Francisco, CA 94158, USA; Eli and Edythe Broad Center for Regeneration Medicine and Stem Cell Research, University of California San Francisco, San Francisco, CA 94158, USA.
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15
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Brase L, Yu Y, McDade E, Harari O, Benitez BA. Comparative gene regulatory networks modulating APOE expression in microglia and astrocytes. MEDRXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR HEALTH SCIENCES 2024:2024.04.19.24306098. [PMID: 38699303 PMCID: PMC11065001 DOI: 10.1101/2024.04.19.24306098] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/05/2024]
Abstract
Background Single-cell technologies have unveiled various transcriptional states in different brain cell types. Transcription factors (TFs) regulate the expression of related gene sets, thereby controlling these diverse expression states. Apolipoprotein E ( APOE ), a pivotal risk-modifying gene in Alzheimer's disease (AD), is expressed in specific glial transcriptional states associated with AD. However, it is still unknown whether the upstream regulatory programs that modulate its expression are shared across brain cell types or specific to microglia and astrocytes. Methods We used pySCENIC to construct state-specific gene regulatory networks (GRNs) for resting and activated cell states within microglia and astrocytes based on single-nucleus RNA sequencing data from AD patients' cortices from the Knight ADRC-DIAN cohort. We then identified replicating TF using data from the ROSMAP cohort. We identified sets of genes co-regulated with APOE by clustering the GRN target genes and identifying genes differentially expressed after the virtual knockout of TFs regulating APOE . We performed enrichment analyses on these gene sets and evaluated their overlap with genes found in AD GWAS loci. Results We identified an average of 96 replicating regulators for each microglial and astrocyte cell state. Our analysis identified the CEBP, JUN, FOS, and FOXO TF families as key regulators of microglial APOE expression. The steroid/thyroid hormone receptor families, including the THR TF family, consistently regulated APOE across astrocyte states, while CEBP and JUN TF families were also involved in resting astrocytes. AD GWAS-associated genes ( PGRN , FCGR3A , CTSH , ABCA1 , MARCKS , CTSB , SQSTM1 , TSC22D4 , FCER1G , and HLA genes) are co-regulated with APOE. We also uncovered that APOE-regulating TFs were linked to circadian rhythm ( BHLHE40 , DBP , XBP1 , CREM , SREBF1 , FOXO3 , and NR2F1 ). Conclusions Our findings reveal a novel perspective on the transcriptional regulation of APOE in the human brain. We found a comprehensive and cell-type-specific regulatory landscape for APOE , revealing distinct and shared regulatory mechanisms across microglia and astrocytes, underscoring the complexity of APOE regulation. APOE -co-regulated genes might also affect AD risk. Furthermore, our study uncovers a potential link between circadian rhythm disruption and APOE regulation, shedding new light on the pathogenesis of AD.
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16
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Hu A, Schmidt MHH, Heinig N. Microglia in retinal angiogenesis and diabetic retinopathy. Angiogenesis 2024:10.1007/s10456-024-09911-1. [PMID: 38564108 DOI: 10.1007/s10456-024-09911-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/16/2023] [Accepted: 02/18/2024] [Indexed: 04/04/2024]
Abstract
Diabetic retinopathy has a high probability of causing visual impairment or blindness throughout the disease progression and is characterized by the growth of new blood vessels in the retina at an advanced, proliferative stage. Microglia are a resident immune population in the central nervous system, known to play a crucial role in regulating retinal angiogenesis in both physiological and pathological conditions, including diabetic retinopathy. Physiologically, they are located close to blood vessels and are essential for forming new blood vessels (neovascularization). In diabetic retinopathy, microglia become widely activated, showing a distinct polarization phenotype that leads to their accumulation around neovascular tufts. These activated microglia induce pathogenic angiogenesis through the secretion of various angiogenic factors and by regulating the status of endothelial cells. Interestingly, some subtypes of microglia simultaneously promote the regression of neovascularization tufts and normal angiogenesis in neovascularization lesions. Modulating the state of microglial activation to ameliorate neovascularization thus appears as a promising potential therapeutic approach for managing diabetic retinopathy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Aiyan Hu
- Institute of Anatomy, Medical Faculty Carl Gustav Carus, Technische Universität Dresden School of Medicine, Fetscherstr 74, 01307, Dresden, Germany
| | - Mirko H H Schmidt
- Institute of Anatomy, Medical Faculty Carl Gustav Carus, Technische Universität Dresden School of Medicine, Fetscherstr 74, 01307, Dresden, Germany.
| | - Nora Heinig
- Institute of Anatomy, Medical Faculty Carl Gustav Carus, Technische Universität Dresden School of Medicine, Fetscherstr 74, 01307, Dresden, Germany.
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17
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Bao Y, Wang G, Li H. Approaches for studying human macrophages. Trends Immunol 2024; 45:237-247. [PMID: 38580575 DOI: 10.1016/j.it.2024.02.007] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/19/2024] [Revised: 02/26/2024] [Accepted: 02/26/2024] [Indexed: 04/07/2024]
Abstract
Macrophages are vital tissue components involved in organogenesis, maintaining homeostasis, and responses to disease. Mouse models have significantly improved our understanding of macrophages. Further investigations into the characteristics and development of human macrophages are crucial, considering the substantial anatomical and physiological distinctions between mice and humans. Despite challenges in human macrophage research, recent studies are shedding light on the ontogeny and function of human macrophages. In this opinion, we propose combinations of cutting-edge approaches to examine the diversity, development, niche, and function of human tissue-resident macrophages. These methodologies can facilitate our exploration of human macrophages more efficiently, ideally providing new therapeutic avenues for macrophage-relevant disorders.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yuzhou Bao
- Key Laboratory of Quantitative Synthetic Biology, Shenzhen Institute of Synthetic Biology, Shenzhen Institute of Advanced Technology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shenzhen, China; State Key Laboratory of Cellular Stress Biology, School of Medicine, Faculty of Medicine and Life Sciences, Xiamen University, Xiamen, China
| | - Guanlin Wang
- Shanghai Key Laboratory of Metabolic Remodeling and Health, Institute of Metabolism and Integrative Biology, Centre for Evolutionary Biology, Fudan University, Shanghai, China.
| | - Hanjie Li
- Key Laboratory of Quantitative Synthetic Biology, Shenzhen Institute of Synthetic Biology, Shenzhen Institute of Advanced Technology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shenzhen, China.
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18
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Butler ML, Pervaiz N, Ypsilantis P, Wang Y, Cammasola Breda J, Mazzilli S, Nicks R, Spurlock E, Hefti MM, Huber BR, Alvarez VE, Stein TD, Campbell JD, McKee AC, Cherry JD. Repetitive head impacts induce neuronal loss and neuroinflammation in young athletes. BIORXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR BIOLOGY 2024:2024.03.26.586815. [PMID: 38585925 PMCID: PMC10996668 DOI: 10.1101/2024.03.26.586815] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 04/09/2024]
Abstract
Repetitive head impacts (RHI) sustained from contact sports are the largest risk factor for chronic traumatic encephalopathy (CTE). Currently, CTE can only be diagnosed after death and the multicellular cascade of events that trigger initial hyperphosphorylated tau (p-tau) deposition remain unclear. Further, the symptoms endorsed by young individuals with early disease are not fully explained by the extent of p-tau deposition, severely hampering development of therapeutic interventions. Here, we show that RHI exposure associates with a multicellular response in young individuals (<51 years old) prior to the onset of CTE p-tau pathology that correlates with number of years of RHI exposure. Leveraging single nucleus RNA sequencing of tissue from 8 control, 9 RHI-exposed, and 11 low stage CTE individuals, we identify SPP1+ inflammatory microglia, angiogenic and inflamed endothelial cell profiles, reactive astrocytes, and altered synaptic gene expression in excitatory and inhibitory neurons in all individuals with exposure to RHI. Surprisingly, we also observe a significant loss of cortical sulcus layer 2/3 neurons in contact sport athletes compared to controls independent of p-tau pathology. These results provide robust evidence that multiple years of RHI exposure is sufficient to induce lasting cellular alterations that may underlie p-tau deposition and help explain the early clinical symptoms observed in young former contact sport athletes. Furthermore, these data identify specific cellular responses to repetitive head impacts that may direct future identification of diagnostic and therapeutic strategies for CTE.
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Affiliation(s)
- Morgane L.M.D. Butler
- Department of Anatomy & Neurobiology, Boston University Chobanian & Avedisian School of Medicine, Boston MA, USA
- Boston University Alzheimer’s Disease and CTE Centers, Boston University Chobanian & Avedisian School of Medicine, Boston MA
| | - Nida Pervaiz
- Section of Computational Biomedicine, Department of Medicine, Boston University Chobanian & Avedisian School of Medicine, Boston MA, USA
| | | | - Yichen Wang
- Section of Computational Biomedicine, Department of Medicine, Boston University Chobanian & Avedisian School of Medicine, Boston MA, USA
| | - Julia Cammasola Breda
- Section of Computational Biomedicine, Department of Medicine, Boston University Chobanian & Avedisian School of Medicine, Boston MA, USA
| | - Sarah Mazzilli
- Section of Computational Biomedicine, Department of Medicine, Boston University Chobanian & Avedisian School of Medicine, Boston MA, USA
| | | | | | - Marco M. Hefti
- Department of Pathology, University of Iowa Health Care, Iowa City IA, USA
| | - Bertrand R. Huber
- VA Boston Healthcare System, Jamaica Plain MA, USA
- National Center for PTSD, VA Boston Healthcare System, Boston MA, USA
- Department of Neurology, Boston University Chobanian & Avedisian School of Medicine, Boston MA, USA
| | - Victor E. Alvarez
- VA Boston Healthcare System, Jamaica Plain MA, USA
- VA Bedford Healthcare System, Bedford MA, USA
- Department of Neurology, Boston University Chobanian & Avedisian School of Medicine, Boston MA, USA
| | - Thor D. Stein
- Boston University Alzheimer’s Disease and CTE Centers, Boston University Chobanian & Avedisian School of Medicine, Boston MA
- VA Boston Healthcare System, Jamaica Plain MA, USA
- VA Bedford Healthcare System, Bedford MA, USA
- Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, Boston University Chobanian & Avedisian School of Medicine, Boston MA, USA
| | - Joshua D. Campbell
- Section of Computational Biomedicine, Department of Medicine, Boston University Chobanian & Avedisian School of Medicine, Boston MA, USA
| | - Ann C. McKee
- Boston University Alzheimer’s Disease and CTE Centers, Boston University Chobanian & Avedisian School of Medicine, Boston MA
- VA Boston Healthcare System, Jamaica Plain MA, USA
- Department of Neurology, Boston University Chobanian & Avedisian School of Medicine, Boston MA, USA
- Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, Boston University Chobanian & Avedisian School of Medicine, Boston MA, USA
| | - Jonathan D. Cherry
- Department of Anatomy & Neurobiology, Boston University Chobanian & Avedisian School of Medicine, Boston MA, USA
- Boston University Alzheimer’s Disease and CTE Centers, Boston University Chobanian & Avedisian School of Medicine, Boston MA
- VA Boston Healthcare System, Jamaica Plain MA, USA
- Department of Neurology, Boston University Chobanian & Avedisian School of Medicine, Boston MA, USA
- Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, Boston University Chobanian & Avedisian School of Medicine, Boston MA, USA
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19
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Jin M, Ma Z, Dang R, Zhang H, Kim R, Xue H, Pascual J, Finkbeiner S, Head E, Liu Y, Jiang P. A Trisomy 21-linked Hematopoietic Gene Variant in Microglia Confers Resilience in Human iPSC Models of Alzheimer's Disease. BIORXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR BIOLOGY 2024:2024.03.12.584646. [PMID: 38559257 PMCID: PMC10979994 DOI: 10.1101/2024.03.12.584646] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 04/04/2024]
Abstract
While challenging, identifying individuals displaying resilience to Alzheimer's disease (AD) and understanding the underlying mechanism holds great promise for the development of new therapeutic interventions to effectively treat AD. Down syndrome (DS), or trisomy 21, is the most common genetic cause of AD. Interestingly, some people with DS, despite developing AD neuropathology, show resilience to cognitive decline. Furthermore, DS individuals are at an increased risk of myeloid leukemia due to somatic mutations in hematopoietic cells. Recent studies indicate that somatic mutations in hematopoietic cells may lead to resilience to neurodegeneration. Microglia, derived from hematopoietic lineages, play a central role in AD etiology. We therefore hypothesize that microglia carrying the somatic mutations associated with DS myeloid leukemia may impart resilience to AD. Using CRISPR-Cas9 gene editing, we introduce a trisomy 21-linked hotspot CSF2RB A455D mutation into human pluripotent stem cell (hPSC) lines derived from both DS and healthy individuals. Employing hPSC-based in vitro microglia culture and in vivo human microglia chimeric mouse brain models, we show that in response to pathological tau, the CSF2RB A455D mutation suppresses microglial type-1 interferon signaling, independent of trisomy 21 genetic background. This mutation reduces neuroinflammation and enhances phagocytic and autophagic functions, thereby ameliorating senescent and dystrophic phenotypes in human microglia. Moreover, the CSF2RB A455D mutation promotes the development of a unique microglia subcluster with tissue repair properties. Importantly, human microglia carrying CSF2RB A455D provide protection to neuronal function, such as neurogenesis and synaptic plasticity in chimeric mouse brains where human microglia largely repopulate the hippocampus. When co-transplanted into the same mouse brains, human microglia with CSF2RB A455D mutation phagocytize and replace human microglia carrying the wildtype CSF2RB gene following pathological tau treatment. Our findings suggest that hPSC-derived CSF2RB A455D microglia could be employed to develop effective microglial replacement therapy for AD and other age-related neurodegenerative diseases, even without the need to deplete endogenous diseased microglia prior to cell transplantation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mengmeng Jin
- Department of Cell Biology and Neuroscience, Rutgers University New Brunswick, Piscataway, NJ 08854, USA
| | - Ziyuan Ma
- Department of Cell Biology and Neuroscience, Rutgers University New Brunswick, Piscataway, NJ 08854, USA
| | - Rui Dang
- Department of Cell Biology and Neuroscience, Rutgers University New Brunswick, Piscataway, NJ 08854, USA
| | - Haiwei Zhang
- Department of Cell Biology and Neuroscience, Rutgers University New Brunswick, Piscataway, NJ 08854, USA
| | - Rachael Kim
- Department of Cell Biology and Neuroscience, Rutgers University New Brunswick, Piscataway, NJ 08854, USA
| | - Haipeng Xue
- Department of Environmental Health Sciences, Robert Stempel College of Public Health and Social Work, Center for Translational Science, Florida International University, Port St. Lucie, FL 34987, USA
| | - Jesse Pascual
- Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, Department of Neurology, University of California, Irvine, CA 92697, USA
| | - Steven Finkbeiner
- Ceter for Systems and Therapeutics and the Taube/Koret Center for Neurodegenerative Disease, Gladstone Institutes; University of California, San Francisco, CA 94158, USA
- Departments of Neurology and Physiology, University of California, San Francisco, CA 94158, USA
| | - Elizabeth Head
- Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, Department of Neurology, University of California, Irvine, CA 92697, USA
| | - Ying Liu
- Department of Environmental Health Sciences, Robert Stempel College of Public Health and Social Work, Center for Translational Science, Florida International University, Port St. Lucie, FL 34987, USA
| | - Peng Jiang
- Department of Cell Biology and Neuroscience, Rutgers University New Brunswick, Piscataway, NJ 08854, USA
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20
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Zhong MZ, Peng T, Duarte ML, Wang M, Cai D. Updates on mouse models of Alzheimer's disease. Mol Neurodegener 2024; 19:23. [PMID: 38462606 PMCID: PMC10926682 DOI: 10.1186/s13024-024-00712-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/04/2023] [Accepted: 02/14/2024] [Indexed: 03/12/2024] Open
Abstract
Alzheimer's disease (AD) is the most common neurodegenerative disease in the United States (US). Animal models, specifically mouse models have been developed to better elucidate disease mechanisms and test therapeutic strategies for AD. A large portion of effort in the field was focused on developing transgenic (Tg) mouse models through over-expression of genetic mutations associated with familial AD (FAD) patients. Newer generations of mouse models through knock-in (KI)/knock-out (KO) or CRISPR gene editing technologies, have been developed for both familial and sporadic AD risk genes with the hope to more accurately model proteinopathies without over-expression of human AD genes in mouse brains. In this review, we summarized the phenotypes of a few commonly used as well as newly developed mouse models in translational research laboratories including the presence or absence of key pathological features of AD such as amyloid and tau pathology, synaptic and neuronal degeneration as well as cognitive and behavior deficits. In addition, advantages and limitations of these AD mouse models have been elaborated along with discussions of any sex-specific features. More importantly, the omics data from available AD mouse models have been analyzed to categorize molecular signatures of each model reminiscent of human AD brain changes, with the hope to guide future selection of most suitable models for specific research questions to be addressed in the AD field.
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Affiliation(s)
- Michael Z Zhong
- Department of Neurology, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, 10029, USA
- Department of Genetics and Genomic Sciences, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, 10029, USA
- Department of Biology, College of Arts and Science, Boston University, Boston, MA, 02215, USA
| | - Thomas Peng
- Department of Neurology, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, 10029, USA
- Science Research Program, Scarsdale High School, New York, NY, 10583, USA
| | - Mariana Lemos Duarte
- Department of Neurology, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, 10029, USA.
- Research & Development, James J Peters VA Medical Center, Bronx, NY, 10468, USA.
| | - Minghui Wang
- Department of Genetics and Genomic Sciences, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, 10029, USA.
- Icahn Institute for Data Science and Genomic Technology, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, One Gustave L. Levy Place, New York, NY, 10029, USA.
- Mount Sinai Center for Transformative Disease Modeling, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, One Gustave L. Levy Place, New York, NY, 10029, USA.
| | - Dongming Cai
- Department of Neurology, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, 10029, USA.
- Research & Development, James J Peters VA Medical Center, Bronx, NY, 10468, USA.
- Alzheimer's Disease Research Center, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, 10029, USA.
- Ronald M. Loeb Center for Alzheimer's Disease, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, 10029, USA.
- Department of Neurology, N. Bud Grossman Center for Memory Research and Care, The University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN, 55455, USA.
- Geriatric Research Education & Clinical Center (GRECC), The Minneapolis VA Health Care System, Minneapolis, MN, 55417, USA.
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21
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Yin T, Yesiltepe M, D'Adamio L. Functional BRI2-TREM2 interactions in microglia: implications for Alzheimer's and related dementias. EMBO Rep 2024; 25:1326-1360. [PMID: 38347225 PMCID: PMC10933458 DOI: 10.1038/s44319-024-00077-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/13/2023] [Revised: 01/17/2024] [Accepted: 01/19/2024] [Indexed: 03/14/2024] Open
Abstract
ITM2B/BRI2 mutations cause Alzheimer's Disease (AD)-related dementias. We observe heightened ITM2B/BRI2 expression in microglia, a pivotal cell type in AD due to risk-increasing variants in the microglial gene TREM2. Single-cell RNA-sequencing demonstrates a Trem2/Bri2-dependent microglia cluster, underscoring their functional interaction. α-secretase cleaves TREM2 into TREM2-CTF and sTREM2. As BRI2 hinders α-secretase cleavage of the AD-related Aβ-Precursor-Protein, we probed whether BRI2 influences TREM2 processing. Our findings indicate a BRI2-TREM2 interaction that inhibits TREM2 processing in heterologous cells. Recombinant BRI2 and TREM2 proteins demonstrate a direct, cell-free BRI2-TREM2 ectodomain interaction. Constitutive and microglial-specific Itm2b-Knock-out mice, and Itm2b-Knock-out primary microglia provide evidence that Bri2 reduces Trem2 processing, boosts Trem2 mRNA expression, and influences Trem2 protein levels through α-secretase-independent pathways, revealing a multifaceted BRI2-TREM2 functional interaction. Moreover, a mutant Itm2b dementia mouse model exhibits elevated Trem2-CTF and sTrem2, mirroring sTREM2 increases in AD patients. Lastly, Bri2 deletion reduces phagocytosis similarly to a pathogenic TREM2 variant that enhances processing. Given BRI2's role in regulating Aβ-Precursor-Protein and TREM2 functions, it holds promise as a therapeutic target for AD and related dementias.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tao Yin
- Department of Pharmacology, Physiology & Neuroscience New Jersey Medical School, Brain Health Institute, Jacqueline Krieger Klein Center in Alzheimer's Disease and Neurodegeneration Research, Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey, 205 South Orange Ave, Newark, NJ, 07103, USA.
| | - Metin Yesiltepe
- Department of Pharmacology, Physiology & Neuroscience New Jersey Medical School, Brain Health Institute, Jacqueline Krieger Klein Center in Alzheimer's Disease and Neurodegeneration Research, Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey, 205 South Orange Ave, Newark, NJ, 07103, USA
| | - Luciano D'Adamio
- Department of Pharmacology, Physiology & Neuroscience New Jersey Medical School, Brain Health Institute, Jacqueline Krieger Klein Center in Alzheimer's Disease and Neurodegeneration Research, Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey, 205 South Orange Ave, Newark, NJ, 07103, USA.
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22
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Pomara N, Imbimbo BP. Do anti-Aβ monoclonal antibodies lower brain plaques in Alzheimer patients through microglia activation? Alzheimers Dement 2024; 20:2289-2290. [PMID: 38224269 PMCID: PMC10984452 DOI: 10.1002/alz.13684] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/07/2023] [Accepted: 12/11/2023] [Indexed: 01/16/2024]
Affiliation(s)
- Nunzio Pomara
- Nathan S Kline Institute for Psychiatric ResearchGeriatric Psychiatry DivisionOrangeburgNew YorkUSA
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23
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Zhukovsky P, Ironside M, Duda JM, Moser AD, Null KE, Dhaynaut M, Normandin M, Guehl NJ, El Fakhri G, Alexander M, Holsen LM, Misra M, Narendran R, Hoye JM, Morris ED, Esfand SM, Goldstein JM, Pizzagalli DA. Acute Stress Increases Striatal Connectivity With Cortical Regions Enriched for μ and κ Opioid Receptors. Biol Psychiatry 2024:S0006-3223(24)00106-9. [PMID: 38395372 DOI: 10.1016/j.biopsych.2024.02.005] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/05/2023] [Revised: 01/22/2024] [Accepted: 02/10/2024] [Indexed: 02/25/2024]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Understanding the neurobiological effects of stress is critical for addressing the etiology of major depressive disorder (MDD). Using a dimensional approach involving individuals with differing degree of MDD risk, we investigated 1) the effects of acute stress on cortico-cortical and subcortical-cortical functional connectivity (FC) and 2) how such effects are related to gene expression and receptor maps. METHODS Across 115 participants (37 control, 39 remitted MDD, 39 current MDD), we evaluated the effects of stress on FC during the Montreal Imaging Stress Task. Using partial least squares regression, we investigated genes whose expression in the Allen Human Brain Atlas was associated with anatomical patterns of stress-related FC change. Finally, we correlated stress-related FC change maps with opioid and GABAA (gamma-aminobutyric acid A) receptor distribution maps derived from positron emission tomography. RESULTS Results revealed robust effects of stress on global cortical connectivity, with increased global FC in frontoparietal and attentional networks and decreased global FC in the medial default mode network. Moreover, robust increases emerged in FC of the caudate, putamen, and amygdala with regions from the ventral attention/salience network, frontoparietal network, and motor networks. Such regions showed preferential expression of genes involved in cell-to-cell signaling (OPRM1, OPRK1, SST, GABRA3, GABRA5), similar to previous genetic MDD studies. CONCLUSIONS Acute stress altered global cortical connectivity and increased striatal connectivity with cortical regions that express genes that have previously been associated with imaging abnormalities in MDD and are rich in μ and κ opioid receptors. These findings point to overlapping circuitry underlying stress response, reward, and MDD.
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Affiliation(s)
- Peter Zhukovsky
- Center for Depression, Anxiety and Stress Research, Department of Psychiatry, McLean Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts
| | - Maria Ironside
- Center for Depression, Anxiety and Stress Research, Department of Psychiatry, McLean Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts; Laureate Institute for Brain Research, The University of Tulsa, Tulsa, Oklahoma
| | - Jessica M Duda
- Center for Depression, Anxiety and Stress Research, Department of Psychiatry, McLean Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts
| | - Amelia D Moser
- Center for Depression, Anxiety and Stress Research, Department of Psychiatry, McLean Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts; Department of Psychology and Neuroscience, University of Colorado Boulder, Boulder, Colorado
| | - Kaylee E Null
- Center for Depression, Anxiety and Stress Research, Department of Psychiatry, McLean Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts; Department of Psychology, University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, California
| | - Maeva Dhaynaut
- Gordon Center for Medical Imaging, Department of Radiology, Massachusetts General Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts
| | - Marc Normandin
- Gordon Center for Medical Imaging, Department of Radiology, Massachusetts General Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts
| | - Nicolas J Guehl
- Gordon Center for Medical Imaging, Department of Radiology, Massachusetts General Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts
| | - Georges El Fakhri
- Gordon Center for Medical Imaging, Department of Radiology, Massachusetts General Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts
| | - Madeline Alexander
- Center for Depression, Anxiety and Stress Research, Department of Psychiatry, McLean Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts
| | - Laura M Holsen
- Division of Women's Health, Brigham and Women's Hospital, Boston, Massachusetts; Innovation Center on Sex Differences in Medicine, Massachusetts General Hospital, Massachusetts General Hospital Research Institute, Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts; Clinical Neuroscience Laboratory of Sex Differences in the Brain, Department of Psychiatry, Massachusetts General Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts
| | - Madhusmita Misra
- Division of Pediatric Endocrinology, Massachusetts General Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts
| | - Rajesh Narendran
- Department of Radiology, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
| | - Jocelyn M Hoye
- Yale Positron Emission Tomography Center, Yale School of Medicine, New Haven, Connecticut; Department of Radiology and Biomedical Imaging, Department of Psychiatry, Yale School of Medicine, New Haven, Connecticut
| | - Evan D Morris
- Yale Positron Emission Tomography Center, Yale School of Medicine, New Haven, Connecticut; Department of Radiology and Biomedical Imaging, Department of Psychiatry, Yale School of Medicine, New Haven, Connecticut
| | - Shiba M Esfand
- Center for Depression, Anxiety and Stress Research, Department of Psychiatry, McLean Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts
| | - Jill M Goldstein
- Department of Psychology, Yale University, New Haven, Connecticut; Division of Women's Health, Brigham and Women's Hospital, Boston, Massachusetts; Innovation Center on Sex Differences in Medicine, Massachusetts General Hospital, Massachusetts General Hospital Research Institute, Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts; Clinical Neuroscience Laboratory of Sex Differences in the Brain, Department of Psychiatry, Massachusetts General Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts; Departments of Psychiatry and Medicine, Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts
| | - Diego A Pizzagalli
- Center for Depression, Anxiety and Stress Research, Department of Psychiatry, McLean Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts.
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24
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Virtuoso A, Galanis C, Lenz M, Papa M, Vlachos A. Regional Microglial Response in Entorhino-Hippocampal Slice Cultures to Schaffer Collateral Lesion and Metalloproteinases Modulation. Int J Mol Sci 2024; 25:2346. [PMID: 38397023 PMCID: PMC10889226 DOI: 10.3390/ijms25042346] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/12/2024] [Revised: 02/08/2024] [Accepted: 02/13/2024] [Indexed: 02/25/2024] Open
Abstract
Microglia and astrocytes are essential in sustaining physiological networks in the central nervous system, with their ability to remodel the extracellular matrix, being pivotal for synapse plasticity. Recent findings have challenged the traditional view of homogenous glial populations in the brain, uncovering morphological, functional, and molecular heterogeneity among glial cells. This diversity has significant implications for both physiological and pathological brain states. In the present study, we mechanically induced a Schaffer collateral lesion (SCL) in mouse entorhino-hippocampal slice cultures to investigate glial behavior, i.e., microglia and astrocytes, under metalloproteinases (MMPs) modulation in the lesioned area, CA3, and the denervated region, CA1. We observed distinct response patterns in the microglia and astrocytes 3 days after the lesion. Notably, GFAP-expressing astrocytes showed no immediate changes post-SCL. Microglia responses varied depending on their anatomical location, underscoring the complexity of the hippocampal neuroglial network post-injury. The MMPs inhibitor GM6001 did not affect microglial reactions in CA3, while increasing the number of Iba1-expressing cells in CA1, leading to a withdrawal of their primary branches. These findings highlight the importance of understanding glial regionalization following neural injury and MMPs modulation and pave the way for further research into glia-targeted therapeutic strategies for neurodegenerative disorders.
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Affiliation(s)
- Assunta Virtuoso
- Neuronal Morphology Networks and Systems Biology Laboratory, Division of Human Anatomy, Department of Mental and Physical Health and Preventive Medicine, University of Campania Luigi Vanvitelli, 80138 Naples, Italy
- Department of Neuroanatomy, Institute of Anatomy and Cell Biology, Faculty of Medicine, University of Freiburg, 79104 Freiburg, Germany; (C.G.); (A.V.)
| | - Christos Galanis
- Department of Neuroanatomy, Institute of Anatomy and Cell Biology, Faculty of Medicine, University of Freiburg, 79104 Freiburg, Germany; (C.G.); (A.V.)
| | - Maximilian Lenz
- Department of Neuroanatomy, Institute of Anatomy and Cell Biology, Faculty of Medicine, University of Freiburg, 79104 Freiburg, Germany; (C.G.); (A.V.)
- Hannover Medical School, Institute of Neuroanatomy and Cell Biology, 30625 Hannover, Germany
| | - Michele Papa
- Neuronal Morphology Networks and Systems Biology Laboratory, Division of Human Anatomy, Department of Mental and Physical Health and Preventive Medicine, University of Campania Luigi Vanvitelli, 80138 Naples, Italy
| | - Andreas Vlachos
- Department of Neuroanatomy, Institute of Anatomy and Cell Biology, Faculty of Medicine, University of Freiburg, 79104 Freiburg, Germany; (C.G.); (A.V.)
- Center for Basics in NeuroModulation (NeuroModulBasics), Faculty of Medicine, University of Freiburg, 79106 Freiburg, Germany
- Center BrainLinks–BrainTools, University of Freiburg, 79110 Freiburg, Germany
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25
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Roussos P, Kosoy R, Fullard J, Bendl J, Kleopoulos S, Shao Z, Argyriou S, Mathur D, Vicari J, Ma Y, Humphrey J, Brophy E, Raj T, Katsel P, Voloudakis G, Lee D, Bennett D, Haroutunian V, Hoffman G. Alzheimer's disease transcriptional landscape in ex-vivo human microglia. RESEARCH SQUARE 2024:rs.3.rs-3851590. [PMID: 38343831 PMCID: PMC10854306 DOI: 10.21203/rs.3.rs-3851590/v1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/19/2024]
Abstract
Microglia are resident immune cells of the brain and are implicated in the etiology of Alzheimer's Disease (AD) and other diseases. Yet the cellular and molecular processes regulating their function throughout the course of the disease are poorly understood. Here, we present the transcriptional landscape of primary microglia from 189 human postmortem brains, including 58 healthy aging individuals and 131 with a range of disease phenotypes, including 63 patients representing the full spectrum of clinical and pathological severity of AD. We identified transcriptional changes associated with multiple AD phenotypes, capturing the severity of dementia and neuropathological lesions. Transcript-level analyses identified additional genes with heterogeneous isoform usage and AD phenotypes. We identified changes in gene-gene coordination in AD, dysregulation of co-expression modules, and disease subtypes with distinct gene expression. Taken together, these data further our understanding of the key role of microglia in AD biology and nominate candidates for therapeutic intervention.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | - Yixuan Ma
- Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai
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26
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Wu D, Bi X, Chow KHM. Identification of female-enriched and disease-associated microglia (FDAMic) contributes to sexual dimorphism in late-onset Alzheimer's disease. J Neuroinflammation 2024; 21:1. [PMID: 38178204 PMCID: PMC10765928 DOI: 10.1186/s12974-023-02987-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/27/2023] [Accepted: 12/06/2023] [Indexed: 01/06/2024] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Late-onset Alzheimer's disease (LOAD) is the most common form of dementia; it disproportionally affects women in terms of both incidence rates and severity of progression. The cellular and molecular mechanisms underlying this clinical phenomenon remain elusive and ill-defined. METHODS In-depth analyses were performed with multiple human LOAD single-nucleus transcriptome datasets to thoroughly characterize cell populations in the cerebral cortex. ROSMAP bulk human brain tissue transcriptome and DNA methylome datasets were also included for validation. Detailed assessments of microglial cell subpopulations and their relevance to sex-biased changes at the tissue level were performed. Clinical trait associations, cell evolutionary trajectories, and transcription regulon analyses were conducted. RESULTS The relative numbers of functionally defective microglia were aberrantly increased uniquely among affected females. Substratification of the microglia into different subtypes according to their transcriptomic signatures identified a group of female-enriched and disease-associated microglia (FDAMic), the numbers of which were positively associated with disease severity. Phenotypically, these cells exhibit transcriptomic signatures that support active proliferation, MHC class II autoantigen presentation and amyloid-β binding, but they are also likely defective in phagocytosis. FDAMic are likely evolved from female activated response microglia (ARMic) with an APOE4 background and compromised estrogen receptor (ER) signaling that is deemed to be active among most subtypes of microglia. CONCLUSION This study offered important insights at both the cellular and molecular levels into how ER signaling affects microglial heterogeneity and function. FDAMic are associated with more advanced pathologies and severe trends of cognitive decline. Their emergence could, at least in part, explain the phenomenon of greater penetrance of the APOE4 genotype found in females. The biases of FDAMic emergence toward female sex and APOE4 status may also explain why hormone replacement therapy is more effective in APOE4 carriers. The pathologic nature of FDAMic suggests that selective modulations of these cells may help to regain brain neuroimmune homeostasis, serving as a new target for future drug development.
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Affiliation(s)
- Deng Wu
- School of Life Sciences, Faculty of Science, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong SAR, 999077, China
| | - Xiaoman Bi
- Key Laboratory of Tropical Translational Medicine of Ministry of Education, College of Biomedical Information and Engineering, Hainan Medical University, Haikou, 571199, China
| | - Kim Hei-Man Chow
- School of Life Sciences, Faculty of Science, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong SAR, 999077, China.
- Gerald Choa Neuroscience Institute, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong SAR, 999077, China.
- Nexus of Rare Neurodegenerative Diseases, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong SAR, 999077, China.
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27
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Han Y, Huang C, Pan Y, Gu X. Single Cell Sequencing Technology and Its Application in Alzheimer's Disease. J Alzheimers Dis 2024; 97:1033-1050. [PMID: 38217599 DOI: 10.3233/jad-230861] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/15/2024]
Abstract
Alzheimer's disease (AD) involves degeneration of cells in the brain. Due to insidious onset and slow progression, AD is often not diagnosed until it gets progressed to a more severe stage. The diagnosis and treatment of AD has been a challenge. In recent years, high-throughput sequencing technologies have exhibited advantages in exploring the pathogenesis of diseases. However, the types of cells of the central nervous system are complex and traditional bulk sequencing cannot reflect their heterogeneity. Single-cell sequencing technology enables study at the individual cell level and has an irreplaceable advantage in the study of complex diseases. In recent years, this field has expanded rapidly and several types of single-cell sequencing technologies have emerged, including transcriptomics, epigenomics, genomics and proteomics. This review article provides an overview of these single-cell sequencing technologies and their application in AD.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yuru Han
- Shanghai Key Laboratory of Molecular Imaging, Zhoupu Hospital, Shanghai University of Medicine and Health Sciences, Shanghai, China
- School of Pharmacy, Shanghai University of Medicine & Health Sciences, Shanghai, China
- School of Health Sciences and Engineering, University of Shanghai for Science and Technology, Shanghai, China
| | - Congying Huang
- Shanghai Key Laboratory of Molecular Imaging, Zhoupu Hospital, Shanghai University of Medicine and Health Sciences, Shanghai, China
- School of Pharmacy, Shanghai University of Medicine & Health Sciences, Shanghai, China
- School of Health Sciences and Engineering, University of Shanghai for Science and Technology, Shanghai, China
| | - Yuhui Pan
- Center for Disease Control and Prevention of Harbin, Harbin, China
| | - Xuefeng Gu
- Shanghai Key Laboratory of Molecular Imaging, Zhoupu Hospital, Shanghai University of Medicine and Health Sciences, Shanghai, China
- School of Pharmacy, Shanghai University of Medicine & Health Sciences, Shanghai, China
- School of Health Sciences and Engineering, University of Shanghai for Science and Technology, Shanghai, China
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28
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McKeever PM, Sababi AM, Sharma R, Khuu N, Xu Z, Shen SY, Xiao S, McGoldrick P, Orouji E, Ketela T, Sato C, Moreno D, Visanji N, Kovacs GG, Keith J, Zinman L, Rogaeva E, Goodarzi H, Bader GD, Robertson J. Single-nucleus multiomic atlas of frontal cortex in amyotrophic lateral sclerosis with a deep learning-based decoding of alternative polyadenylation mechanisms. BIORXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR BIOLOGY 2023:2023.12.22.573083. [PMID: 38187588 PMCID: PMC10769403 DOI: 10.1101/2023.12.22.573083] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/09/2024]
Abstract
The understanding of how different cell types contribute to amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) pathogenesis is limited. Here we generated a single-nucleus transcriptomic and epigenomic atlas of the frontal cortex of ALS cases with C9orf72 (C9) hexanucleotide repeat expansions and sporadic ALS (sALS). Our findings reveal shared pathways in C9-ALS and sALS, characterized by synaptic dysfunction in excitatory neurons and a disease-associated state in microglia. The disease subtypes diverge with loss of astrocyte homeostasis in C9-ALS, and a more substantial disturbance of inhibitory neurons in sALS. Leveraging high depth 3'-end sequencing, we found a widespread switch towards distal polyadenylation (PA) site usage across ALS subtypes relative to controls. To explore this differential alternative PA (APA), we developed APA-Net, a deep neural network model that uses transcript sequence and expression levels of RNA-binding proteins (RBPs) to predict cell-type specific APA usage and RBP interactions likely to regulate APA across disease subtypes.
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29
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Xu Y, Gao W, Sun Y, Wu M. New insight on microglia activation in neurodegenerative diseases and therapeutics. Front Neurosci 2023; 17:1308345. [PMID: 38188026 PMCID: PMC10770846 DOI: 10.3389/fnins.2023.1308345] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/06/2023] [Accepted: 12/06/2023] [Indexed: 01/09/2024] Open
Abstract
Microglia are immune cells within the central nervous system (CNS) closely linked to brain health and neurodegenerative diseases such as Alzheimer's disease and Parkinson's disease. In response to changes in the surrounding environment, microglia activate and change their state and function. Several factors, example for circadian rhythm disruption and the development of neurodegenerative diseases, influence microglia activation. In this review, we explore microglia's function and the associated neural mechanisms. We elucidate that circadian rhythms are essential factors influencing microglia activation and function. Circadian rhythm disruption affects microglia activation and, consequently, neurodegenerative diseases. In addition, we found that abnormal microglia activation is a common feature of neurodegenerative diseases and an essential factor of disease development. Here we highlight the importance of microglia activation in neurodegenerative diseases. Targeting microglia for neurodegenerative disease treatment is a promising direction. We introduce the progress of methods targeting microglia for the treatment of neurodegenerative diseases and summarize the progress of drugs developed with microglia as targets, hoping to provide new ideas for treating neurodegenerative diseases.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yucong Xu
- Hunan Cancer Hospital/The Affiliated Cancer Hospital of Xiangya School of Medicine, Central South University, Changsha, Hunan, China
- The Key Laboratory of Carcinogenesis of the Chinese Ministry of Health, The Key Laboratory of Carcinogenesis and Cancer Invasion of the Chinese Ministry of Education, Cancer Research Institute, Central South University, Changsha, Hunan, China
| | - Wei Gao
- Hunan Cancer Hospital/The Affiliated Cancer Hospital of Xiangya School of Medicine, Central South University, Changsha, Hunan, China
- The Key Laboratory of Carcinogenesis of the Chinese Ministry of Health, The Key Laboratory of Carcinogenesis and Cancer Invasion of the Chinese Ministry of Education, Cancer Research Institute, Central South University, Changsha, Hunan, China
| | - Yingnan Sun
- Hunan Cancer Hospital/The Affiliated Cancer Hospital of Xiangya School of Medicine, Central South University, Changsha, Hunan, China
| | - Minghua Wu
- Hunan Cancer Hospital/The Affiliated Cancer Hospital of Xiangya School of Medicine, Central South University, Changsha, Hunan, China
- The Key Laboratory of Carcinogenesis of the Chinese Ministry of Health, The Key Laboratory of Carcinogenesis and Cancer Invasion of the Chinese Ministry of Education, Cancer Research Institute, Central South University, Changsha, Hunan, China
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30
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Varshney A, Manickam N, Orchard P, Tovar A, Zhang Z, Feng F, Erdos MR, Narisu N, Ventresca C, Nishino K, Rai V, Stringham HM, Jackson AU, Tamsen T, Gao C, Yang M, Koues OI, Welch JD, Burant CF, Williams LK, Jenkinson C, DeFronzo RA, Norton L, Saramies J, Lakka TA, Laakso M, Tuomilehto J, Mohlke KL, Kitzman JO, Koistinen HA, Liu J, Boehnke M, Collins FS, Scott LJ, Parker SCJ. Population-scale skeletal muscle single-nucleus multi-omic profiling reveals extensive context specific genetic regulation. BIORXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR BIOLOGY 2023:2023.12.15.571696. [PMID: 38168419 PMCID: PMC10760134 DOI: 10.1101/2023.12.15.571696] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/05/2024]
Abstract
Skeletal muscle, the largest human organ by weight, is relevant to several polygenic metabolic traits and diseases including type 2 diabetes (T2D). Identifying genetic mechanisms underlying these traits requires pinpointing the relevant cell types, regulatory elements, target genes, and causal variants. Here, we used genetic multiplexing to generate population-scale single nucleus (sn) chromatin accessibility (snATAC-seq) and transcriptome (snRNA-seq) maps across 287 frozen human skeletal muscle biopsies representing 456,880 nuclei. We identified 13 cell types that collectively represented 983,155 ATAC summits. We integrated genetic variation to discover 6,866 expression quantitative trait loci (eQTL) and 100,928 chromatin accessibility QTL (caQTL) (5% FDR) across the five most abundant cell types, cataloging caQTL peaks that atlas-level snATAC maps often miss. We identified 1,973 eGenes colocalized with caQTL and used mediation analyses to construct causal directional maps for chromatin accessibility and gene expression. 3,378 genome-wide association study (GWAS) signals across 43 relevant traits colocalized with sn-e/caQTL, 52% in a cell-specific manner. 77% of GWAS signals colocalized with caQTL and not eQTL, highlighting the critical importance of population-scale chromatin profiling for GWAS functional studies. GWAS-caQTL colocalization showed distinct cell-specific regulatory paradigms. For example, a C2CD4A/B T2D GWAS signal colocalized with caQTL in muscle fibers and multiple chromatin loop models nominated VPS13C, a glucose uptake gene. Sequence of the caQTL peak overlapping caSNP rs7163757 showed allelic regulatory activity differences in a human myocyte cell line massively parallel reporter assay. These results illuminate the genetic regulatory architecture of human skeletal muscle at high-resolution epigenomic, transcriptomic, and cell state scales and serve as a template for population-scale multi-omic mapping in complex tissues and traits.
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Affiliation(s)
- Arushi Varshney
- Dept. of Computational Medicine and Bioinformatics, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, USA
| | - Nandini Manickam
- Dept. of Computational Medicine and Bioinformatics, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, USA
| | - Peter Orchard
- Dept. of Computational Medicine and Bioinformatics, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, USA
| | - Adelaide Tovar
- Dept. of Computational Medicine and Bioinformatics, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, USA
| | - Zhenhao Zhang
- Dept. of Computational Medicine and Bioinformatics, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, USA
| | - Fan Feng
- Dept. of Computational Medicine and Bioinformatics, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, USA
| | - Michael R Erdos
- Center for Precision Health Research, National Human Genome Research Institute, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD, USA
| | - Narisu Narisu
- Center for Precision Health Research, National Human Genome Research Institute, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD, USA
| | - Christa Ventresca
- Dept. of Computational Medicine and Bioinformatics, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, USA
- Dept. of Human Genetics, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, USA
| | - Kirsten Nishino
- Dept. of Computational Medicine and Bioinformatics, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, USA
| | - Vivek Rai
- Dept. of Computational Medicine and Bioinformatics, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, USA
| | - Heather M Stringham
- Department of Biostatistics, Center for Statistical Genetics, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, USA
| | - Anne U Jackson
- Department of Biostatistics, Center for Statistical Genetics, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, USA
| | - Tricia Tamsen
- Biomedical Research Core Facilities Advanced Genomics Core, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, USA
| | - Chao Gao
- Dept. of Computational Medicine and Bioinformatics, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, USA
| | - Mao Yang
- Department of Internal Medicine, Center for Individualized and Genomic Medicine Research, Henry Ford Hospital, Detroit, MI, USA
| | - Olivia I Koues
- Biomedical Research Core Facilities Advanced Genomics Core, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, USA
| | - Joshua D Welch
- Dept. of Computational Medicine and Bioinformatics, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, USA
| | - Charles F Burant
- Department of Internal Medicine, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Michigan, USA
| | - L Keoki Williams
- Department of Internal Medicine, Center for Individualized and Genomic Medicine Research, Henry Ford Hospital, Detroit, MI, USA
| | - Chris Jenkinson
- South Texas Diabetes and Obesity Research Institute, School of Medicine, University of Texas, Rio Grande Valley, TX, USA
| | - Ralph A DeFronzo
- Department of Medicine/Diabetes Division, University of Texas Health, San Antonio, TX, USA
| | - Luke Norton
- Department of Medicine/Diabetes Division, University of Texas Health, San Antonio, TX, USA
| | - Jouko Saramies
- Savitaipale Health Center, South Karelia Central Hospital, Lappeenranta, Finland
| | - Timo A Lakka
- Institute of Biomedicine, University of Eastern Finland, Kuopio, Finland
| | - Markku Laakso
- Institute of Clinical Medicine, University of Eastern Finland, Kuopio, Finland
| | - Jaakko Tuomilehto
- Dept. of Public Health and Welfare, Finnish Institute for Health and Welfare, Helsinki, Finland
- Dept. of Public Health, University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland
- Diabetes Research Group, King Abdulaziz University, Jeddah, Saudi Arabia
| | - Karen L Mohlke
- Dept. of Genetics, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, NC, USA
| | - Jacob O Kitzman
- Dept. of Human Genetics, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, USA
- Dept. of Computational Medicine and Bioinformatics, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, USA
| | - Heikki A Koistinen
- Dept. of Public Health and Welfare, Finnish Institute for Health and Welfare, Helsinki, Finland
- Department of Medicine, University of Helsinki and Helsinki University Hospital, Helsinki, Finland
- Minerva Foundation Institute for Medical Research, Helsinki, Finland
| | - Jie Liu
- Dept. of Computational Medicine and Bioinformatics, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, USA
| | - Michael Boehnke
- Department of Biostatistics, Center for Statistical Genetics, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, USA
| | - Francis S Collins
- Center for Precision Health Research, National Human Genome Research Institute, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD, USA
| | - Laura J Scott
- Department of Biostatistics, Center for Statistical Genetics, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, USA
| | - Stephen C J Parker
- Dept. of Computational Medicine and Bioinformatics, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, USA
- Dept. of Human Genetics, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, USA
- Department of Biostatistics, Center for Statistical Genetics, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, USA
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Levites Y, Dammer EB, Ran Y, Tsering W, Duong D, Abreha M, Gadhavi J, Lolo K, Trejo-Lopez J, Phillips JL, Iturbe A, Erqiuzi A, Moore BD, Ryu D, Natu A, Dillon KD, Torrellas J, Moran C, Ladd TB, Afroz KF, Islam T, Jagirdar J, Funk CC, Robinson M, Borchelt DR, Ertekin-Taner N, Kelly JW, Heppner FL, Johnson EC, McFarland K, Levey AL, Prokop S, Seyfried NT, Golde TE. Aβ Amyloid Scaffolds the Accumulation of Matrisome and Additional Proteins in Alzheimer's Disease. BIORXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR BIOLOGY 2023:2023.11.29.568318. [PMID: 38076912 PMCID: PMC10705437 DOI: 10.1101/2023.11.29.568318] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 04/14/2024]
Abstract
We report a highly significant correlation in brain proteome changes between Alzheimers disease (AD) and CRND8 APP695NL/F transgenic mice. However, integrating protein changes observed in the CRND8 mice with co-expression networks derived from human AD, reveals both conserved and divergent module changes. For the most highly conserved module (M42, matrisome) we find many proteins accumulate in plaques, cerebrovascular amyloid (CAA), dystrophic processes, or a combination thereof. Overexpression of two M42 proteins, midkine (Mdk) and pleiotrophin (PTN), in CRND8 mice brains leads to increased accumulation of A β ; in plaques and in CAA; further, recombinant MDK and PTN enhance A β ; aggregation into amyloid. Multiple M42 proteins, annotated as heparan sulfate binding proteins, bind to fibrillar A β 42 and a non-human amyloid fibril in vitro. Supporting this binding data, MDK and PTN co-accumulate with transthyretin (TTR) amyloid in the heart and islet amyloid polypeptide (IAPP) amyloid in the pancreas. Our findings establish several critical insights. Proteomic changes in modules observed in human AD brains define an A β ; amyloid responsome that is well conserved from mouse model to human. Further, distinct amyloid structures may serve as scaffolds, facilitating the co-accumulation of proteins with signaling functions. We hypothesize that this co-accumulation may contribute to downstream pathological sequalae. Overall, this contextualized understanding of proteomic changes and their interplay with amyloid deposition provides valuable insights into the complexity of AD pathogenesis and potential biomarkers and therapeutic targets.
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Maiese K. The impact of aging and oxidative stress in metabolic and nervous system disorders: programmed cell death and molecular signal transduction crosstalk. Front Immunol 2023; 14:1273570. [PMID: 38022638 PMCID: PMC10663950 DOI: 10.3389/fimmu.2023.1273570] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/06/2023] [Accepted: 10/23/2023] [Indexed: 12/01/2023] Open
Abstract
Life expectancy is increasing throughout the world and coincides with a rise in non-communicable diseases (NCDs), especially for metabolic disease that includes diabetes mellitus (DM) and neurodegenerative disorders. The debilitating effects of metabolic disorders influence the entire body and significantly affect the nervous system impacting greater than one billion people with disability in the peripheral nervous system as well as with cognitive loss, now the seventh leading cause of death worldwide. Metabolic disorders, such as DM, and neurologic disease remain a significant challenge for the treatment and care of individuals since present therapies may limit symptoms but do not halt overall disease progression. These clinical challenges to address the interplay between metabolic and neurodegenerative disorders warrant innovative strategies that can focus upon the underlying mechanisms of aging-related disorders, oxidative stress, cell senescence, and cell death. Programmed cell death pathways that involve autophagy, apoptosis, ferroptosis, and pyroptosis can play a critical role in metabolic and neurodegenerative disorders and oversee processes that include insulin resistance, β-cell function, mitochondrial integrity, reactive oxygen species release, and inflammatory cell activation. The silent mating type information regulation 2 homolog 1 (Saccharomyces cerevisiae) (SIRT1), AMP activated protein kinase (AMPK), and Wnt1 inducible signaling pathway protein 1 (WISP1) are novel targets that can oversee programmed cell death pathways tied to β-nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide (NAD+), nicotinamide, apolipoprotein E (APOE), severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS-CoV-2) exposure with coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19), and trophic factors, such as erythropoietin (EPO). The pathways of programmed cell death, SIRT1, AMPK, and WISP1 offer exciting prospects for maintaining metabolic homeostasis and nervous system function that can be compromised during aging-related disorders and lead to cognitive impairment, but these pathways have dual roles in determining the ultimate fate of cells and organ systems that warrant thoughtful insight into complex autofeedback mechanisms.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kenneth Maiese
- Innovation and Commercialization, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD, United States
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33
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Snijders GJLJ, de Paiva Lopes K, Sneeboer MAM, Muller BZ, Gigase FAJ, Vialle RA, Missall R, Kubler R, Raj T, Humphrey J, de Witte LD. The human microglia responsome: a resource to better understand microglia states in health and disease. BIORXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR BIOLOGY 2023:2023.10.12.562067. [PMID: 37873223 PMCID: PMC10592813 DOI: 10.1101/2023.10.12.562067] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/25/2023]
Abstract
Microglia, the immune cells of the brain, are increasingly implicated in neurodegenerative disorders through genetic studies. However, how genetic risk factors for these diseases are related to microglial gene expression, microglial function, and ultimately disease, is still largely unknown. Microglia change rapidly in response to alterations in their cellular environment, which is regulated through changes in transcriptional programs, which are as yet poorly understood. Here, we compared the effects of a set of inflammatory and restorative stimuli (lipopolysaccharide, interferon-gamma, resiquimod, tumor necrosis factor-alpha, adenosine triphosphate, dexamethasone, and interleukin-4) on human microglial cells from 67 different donors (N = 398 samples) at the gene and transcript level. We show that microglia from different anatomical brain regions show distinct responses to inflammatory stimuli. We observed a greater overlap between human stimulated microglia and human monocytes than with mouse microglia. We define specific microglial signatures across conditions which are highly relevant for a wide range of biological functions and complex human diseases. Finally, we used our stimulation signatures to interpret associations from Alzheimer's disease (AD) genetic studies and microglia by integrating our inflammatory gene expression profiles with common genetic variants to map cis -expression QTLs (eQTLs). Together, we provide the most comprehensive transcriptomic database of the human microglia responsome. Highlights RNA-sequencing of 398 human microglial samples exposed to six different triggers.Microglia from different anatomical regions show distinct stimulation responses.Responses in human microglia show a greater overlap with human monocytes than murine microglia.Mapping of response Quantitative Trait Loci identifies interactions between genotype and effect of stimulation on gene expression.Our atlas provides a reference map for interpreting microglia signatures in health and disease.
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34
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Mathys H, Peng Z, Boix CA, Victor MB, Leary N, Babu S, Abdelhady G, Jiang X, Ng AP, Ghafari K, Kunisky AK, Mantero J, Galani K, Lohia VN, Fortier GE, Lotfi Y, Ivey J, Brown HP, Patel PR, Chakraborty N, Beaudway JI, Imhoff EJ, Keeler CF, McChesney MM, Patel HH, Patel SP, Thai MT, Bennett DA, Kellis M, Tsai LH. Single-cell atlas reveals correlates of high cognitive function, dementia, and resilience to Alzheimer's disease pathology. Cell 2023; 186:4365-4385.e27. [PMID: 37774677 PMCID: PMC10601493 DOI: 10.1016/j.cell.2023.08.039] [Citation(s) in RCA: 49] [Impact Index Per Article: 49.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/19/2022] [Revised: 05/20/2023] [Accepted: 08/29/2023] [Indexed: 10/01/2023]
Abstract
Alzheimer's disease (AD) is the most common cause of dementia worldwide, but the molecular and cellular mechanisms underlying cognitive impairment remain poorly understood. To address this, we generated a single-cell transcriptomic atlas of the aged human prefrontal cortex covering 2.3 million cells from postmortem human brain samples of 427 individuals with varying degrees of AD pathology and cognitive impairment. Our analyses identified AD-pathology-associated alterations shared between excitatory neuron subtypes, revealed a coordinated increase of the cohesin complex and DNA damage response factors in excitatory neurons and in oligodendrocytes, and uncovered genes and pathways associated with high cognitive function, dementia, and resilience to AD pathology. Furthermore, we identified selectively vulnerable somatostatin inhibitory neuron subtypes depleted in AD, discovered two distinct groups of inhibitory neurons that were more abundant in individuals with preserved high cognitive function late in life, and uncovered a link between inhibitory neurons and resilience to AD pathology.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hansruedi Mathys
- Picower Institute for Learning and Memory, MIT, Cambridge, MA 02139, USA; Department of Brain and Cognitive Sciences, MIT, Cambridge, MA 02139, USA; University of Pittsburgh Brain Institute and Department of Neurobiology, University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, Pittsburgh, PA 15261, USA.
| | - Zhuyu Peng
- Picower Institute for Learning and Memory, MIT, Cambridge, MA 02139, USA; Department of Brain and Cognitive Sciences, MIT, Cambridge, MA 02139, USA
| | - Carles A Boix
- Computer Science and Artificial Intelligence Laboratory, MIT, Cambridge, MA 02139, USA; Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard, Cambridge, MA 02142, USA
| | - Matheus B Victor
- Picower Institute for Learning and Memory, MIT, Cambridge, MA 02139, USA; Department of Brain and Cognitive Sciences, MIT, Cambridge, MA 02139, USA
| | - Noelle Leary
- Picower Institute for Learning and Memory, MIT, Cambridge, MA 02139, USA; Department of Brain and Cognitive Sciences, MIT, Cambridge, MA 02139, USA
| | - Sudhagar Babu
- University of Pittsburgh Brain Institute and Department of Neurobiology, University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, Pittsburgh, PA 15261, USA
| | - Ghada Abdelhady
- University of Pittsburgh Brain Institute and Department of Neurobiology, University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, Pittsburgh, PA 15261, USA
| | - Xueqiao Jiang
- Picower Institute for Learning and Memory, MIT, Cambridge, MA 02139, USA; Department of Brain and Cognitive Sciences, MIT, Cambridge, MA 02139, USA
| | - Ayesha P Ng
- Picower Institute for Learning and Memory, MIT, Cambridge, MA 02139, USA; Department of Brain and Cognitive Sciences, MIT, Cambridge, MA 02139, USA
| | - Kimia Ghafari
- University of Pittsburgh Brain Institute and Department of Neurobiology, University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, Pittsburgh, PA 15261, USA
| | - Alexander K Kunisky
- University of Pittsburgh Brain Institute and Department of Neurobiology, University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, Pittsburgh, PA 15261, USA
| | - Julio Mantero
- Computer Science and Artificial Intelligence Laboratory, MIT, Cambridge, MA 02139, USA; Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard, Cambridge, MA 02142, USA
| | - Kyriaki Galani
- Computer Science and Artificial Intelligence Laboratory, MIT, Cambridge, MA 02139, USA; Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard, Cambridge, MA 02142, USA
| | - Vanshika N Lohia
- University of Pittsburgh Brain Institute and Department of Neurobiology, University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, Pittsburgh, PA 15261, USA
| | - Gabrielle E Fortier
- University of Pittsburgh Brain Institute and Department of Neurobiology, University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, Pittsburgh, PA 15261, USA
| | - Yasmine Lotfi
- University of Pittsburgh Brain Institute and Department of Neurobiology, University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, Pittsburgh, PA 15261, USA
| | - Jason Ivey
- University of Pittsburgh Brain Institute and Department of Neurobiology, University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, Pittsburgh, PA 15261, USA
| | - Hannah P Brown
- University of Pittsburgh Brain Institute and Department of Neurobiology, University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, Pittsburgh, PA 15261, USA
| | - Pratham R Patel
- University of Pittsburgh Brain Institute and Department of Neurobiology, University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, Pittsburgh, PA 15261, USA
| | - Nehal Chakraborty
- University of Pittsburgh Brain Institute and Department of Neurobiology, University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, Pittsburgh, PA 15261, USA
| | - Jacob I Beaudway
- University of Pittsburgh Brain Institute and Department of Neurobiology, University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, Pittsburgh, PA 15261, USA
| | - Elizabeth J Imhoff
- University of Pittsburgh Brain Institute and Department of Neurobiology, University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, Pittsburgh, PA 15261, USA
| | - Cameron F Keeler
- University of Pittsburgh Brain Institute and Department of Neurobiology, University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, Pittsburgh, PA 15261, USA
| | - Maren M McChesney
- University of Pittsburgh Brain Institute and Department of Neurobiology, University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, Pittsburgh, PA 15261, USA
| | - Haishal H Patel
- University of Pittsburgh Brain Institute and Department of Neurobiology, University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, Pittsburgh, PA 15261, USA
| | - Sahil P Patel
- University of Pittsburgh Brain Institute and Department of Neurobiology, University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, Pittsburgh, PA 15261, USA
| | - Megan T Thai
- University of Pittsburgh Brain Institute and Department of Neurobiology, University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, Pittsburgh, PA 15261, USA
| | | | - Manolis Kellis
- Computer Science and Artificial Intelligence Laboratory, MIT, Cambridge, MA 02139, USA; Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard, Cambridge, MA 02142, USA.
| | - Li-Huei Tsai
- Picower Institute for Learning and Memory, MIT, Cambridge, MA 02139, USA; Department of Brain and Cognitive Sciences, MIT, Cambridge, MA 02139, USA; Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard, Cambridge, MA 02142, USA.
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35
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Luo W, Qu W, Gan L. The AD odyssey 2023: Tales of single cell. Cell 2023; 186:4257-4259. [PMID: 37774675 DOI: 10.1016/j.cell.2023.09.001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/28/2023] [Revised: 09/01/2023] [Accepted: 09/01/2023] [Indexed: 10/01/2023]
Abstract
Deciphering cellular changes in Alzheimer's disease (AD) using large cohorts with defined clinical stages is essential for understanding the diverse trajectories of AD progression. In this issue of Cell, five studies harnessed the power of single-nuclei RNA sequencing (snRNA-seq) and single-nuclei ATAC sequencing (snATAC-seq) at unprecedented scale and revealed exciting insights into cell-type-specific mechanisms underlying the progression of AD pathogenesis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Wenjie Luo
- Helen and Robert Appel Alzheimer's Disease Research Institute, Brain and Mind Research Institute, Weill Cornell Medicine, New York, NY, USA
| | - Wenhui Qu
- Helen and Robert Appel Alzheimer's Disease Research Institute, Brain and Mind Research Institute, Weill Cornell Medicine, New York, NY, USA
| | - Li Gan
- Helen and Robert Appel Alzheimer's Disease Research Institute, Brain and Mind Research Institute, Weill Cornell Medicine, New York, NY, USA.
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