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Shwab EK, Gingerich DC, Man Z, Gamache J, Garrett ME, Crawford GE, Ashley-Koch AE, Serrano GE, Beach TG, Lutz MW, Chiba-Falek O. Single-nucleus multi-omics of Parkinson's disease reveals a glutamatergic neuronal subtype susceptible to gene dysregulation via alteration of transcriptional networks. Acta Neuropathol Commun 2024; 12:111. [PMID: 38956662 PMCID: PMC11218415 DOI: 10.1186/s40478-024-01803-1] [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: 05/22/2024] [Accepted: 05/27/2024] [Indexed: 07/04/2024] Open
Abstract
The genetic architecture of Parkinson's disease (PD) is complex and multiple brain cell subtypes are involved in the neuropathological progression of the disease. Here we aimed to advance our understanding of PD genetic complexity at a cell subtype precision level. Using parallel single-nucleus (sn)RNA-seq and snATAC-seq analyses we simultaneously profiled the transcriptomic and chromatin accessibility landscapes in temporal cortex tissues from 12 PD compared to 12 control subjects at a granular single cell resolution. An integrative bioinformatic pipeline was developed and applied for the analyses of these snMulti-omics datasets. The results identified a subpopulation of cortical glutamatergic excitatory neurons with remarkably altered gene expression in PD, including differentially-expressed genes within PD risk loci identified in genome-wide association studies (GWAS). This was the only neuronal subtype showing significant and robust overexpression of SNCA. Further characterization of this neuronal-subpopulation showed upregulation of specific pathways related to axon guidance, neurite outgrowth and post-synaptic structure, and downregulated pathways involved in presynaptic organization and calcium response. Additionally, we characterized the roles of three molecular mechanisms in governing PD-associated cell subtype-specific dysregulation of gene expression: (1) changes in cis-regulatory element accessibility to transcriptional machinery; (2) changes in the abundance of master transcriptional regulators, including YY1, SP3, and KLF16; (3) candidate regulatory variants in high linkage disequilibrium with PD-GWAS genomic variants impacting transcription factor binding affinities. To our knowledge, this study is the first and the most comprehensive interrogation of the multi-omics landscape of PD at a cell-subtype resolution. Our findings provide new insights into a precise glutamatergic neuronal cell subtype, causal genes, and non-coding regulatory variants underlying the neuropathological progression of PD, paving the way for the development of cell- and gene-targeted therapeutics to halt disease progression as well as genetic biomarkers for early preclinical diagnosis.
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Affiliation(s)
- E Keats Shwab
- Division of Translational Brain Sciences, Department of Neurology, Duke University School of Medicine, Duke University Medical Center, Durham, NC, 27710, USA
- Center for Genomic and Computational Biology, Duke University Medical Center, Durham, NC, 27708, USA
| | - Daniel C Gingerich
- Division of Translational Brain Sciences, Department of Neurology, Duke University School of Medicine, Duke University Medical Center, Durham, NC, 27710, USA
- Center for Genomic and Computational Biology, Duke University Medical Center, Durham, NC, 27708, USA
| | - Zhaohui Man
- Division of Translational Brain Sciences, Department of Neurology, Duke University School of Medicine, Duke University Medical Center, Durham, NC, 27710, USA
- Center for Genomic and Computational Biology, Duke University Medical Center, Durham, NC, 27708, USA
| | - Julia Gamache
- Division of Translational Brain Sciences, Department of Neurology, Duke University School of Medicine, Duke University Medical Center, Durham, NC, 27710, USA
- Center for Genomic and Computational Biology, Duke University Medical Center, Durham, NC, 27708, USA
| | - Melanie E Garrett
- Duke Molecular Physiology Institute, Duke University Medical Center, Durham, NC, 27701, USA
| | - Gregory E Crawford
- Center for Genomic and Computational Biology, Duke University Medical Center, Durham, NC, 27708, USA
- Division of Medical Genetics, Department of Pediatrics, Duke University Medical Center, Durham, NC, 27708, USA
- Center for Advanced Genomic Technologies, Duke University Medical Center, Durham, NC, 27708, USA
| | - Allison E Ashley-Koch
- Duke Molecular Physiology Institute, Duke University Medical Center, Durham, NC, 27701, USA
- Department of Medicine, Duke University Medical Center, Durham, NC, 27708, USA
| | - Geidy E Serrano
- Banner Sun Health Research Institute, Sun City, AZ, 85351, USA
| | - Thomas G Beach
- Banner Sun Health Research Institute, Sun City, AZ, 85351, USA
| | - Michael W Lutz
- Division of Translational Brain Sciences, Department of Neurology, Duke University School of Medicine, Duke University Medical Center, Durham, NC, 27710, USA
| | - Ornit Chiba-Falek
- Division of Translational Brain Sciences, Department of Neurology, Duke University School of Medicine, Duke University Medical Center, Durham, NC, 27710, USA.
- Center for Genomic and Computational Biology, Duke University Medical Center, Durham, NC, 27708, USA.
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Nystuen KL, McNamee SM, Akula M, Holton KM, DeAngelis MM, Haider NB. Alzheimer's Disease: Models and Molecular Mechanisms Informing Disease and Treatments. Bioengineering (Basel) 2024; 11:45. [PMID: 38247923 PMCID: PMC10813760 DOI: 10.3390/bioengineering11010045] [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: 11/14/2023] [Revised: 12/15/2023] [Accepted: 12/22/2023] [Indexed: 01/23/2024] Open
Abstract
Alzheimer's Disease (AD) is a complex neurodegenerative disease resulting in progressive loss of memory, language and motor abilities caused by cortical and hippocampal degeneration. This review captures the landscape of understanding of AD pathology, diagnostics, and current therapies. Two major mechanisms direct AD pathology: (1) accumulation of amyloid β (Aβ) plaque and (2) tau-derived neurofibrillary tangles (NFT). The most common variants in the Aβ pathway in APP, PSEN1, and PSEN2 are largely responsible for early-onset AD (EOAD), while MAPT, APOE, TREM2 and ABCA7 have a modifying effect on late-onset AD (LOAD). More recent studies implicate chaperone proteins and Aβ degrading proteins in AD. Several tests, such as cognitive function, brain imaging, and cerebral spinal fluid (CSF) and blood tests, are used for AD diagnosis. Additionally, several biomarkers seem to have a unique AD specific combination of expression and could potentially be used in improved, less invasive diagnostics. In addition to genetic perturbations, environmental influences, such as altered gut microbiome signatures, affect AD. Effective AD treatments have been challenging to develop. Currently, there are several FDA approved drugs (cholinesterase inhibitors, Aß-targeting antibodies and an NMDA antagonist) that could mitigate AD rate of decline and symptoms of distress.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kaden L. Nystuen
- Department of Chemical Engineering, University of Massachusetts Amherst, Amherst, MA 01003, USA
| | - Shannon M. McNamee
- Schepens Eye Research Institute, Massachusetts Eye and Ear, Department of Ophthalmology, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02114, USA
| | - Monica Akula
- Schepens Eye Research Institute, Massachusetts Eye and Ear, Department of Ophthalmology, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02114, USA
| | - Kristina M. Holton
- Department of Stem Cell and Regenerative Biology, Harvard University, Cambridge, MA 02138, USA
- Harvard Stem Cell Institute, Cambridge, MA 02138, USA
- Stanley Center for Psychiatric Research, Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard, Cambridge, MA 02142, USA
| | - Margaret M. DeAngelis
- Department of Ophthalmology, Jacobs School of Medicine and Biomedical Sciences, University at Buffalo, Buffalo, NY 14203, USA
| | - Neena B. Haider
- Schepens Eye Research Institute, Massachusetts Eye and Ear, Department of Ophthalmology, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02114, USA
- Department of Cell Biology, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02115, USA
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