identifying gender-specific glial cell biomarkers in alzheimer&#39;s disease

Sex-Specific Glial Biomarkers in Alzheimer&amp;#39;s Disease: A Transcriptome Analysis

Alzheimer&#39;s disease (AD) is a global disease with high incidence, and it accounts for 60%-80% of dementia1. Despite its high incidence, the mechanistic pathogenesis of AD is not clearly delineated, and there have been no effective therapeutics until now2. The main pathologies in AD were identified as neuronal atrophy and the accumulation of pathological debris, mainly microtubule-associated protein Tau, and &#946;-amyloid (A&#946;)3,4. The pathogenesis of AD is associated with abnormal autophagy, oxidative stress, mitochondrial dysfunction, inflammation, and energy metabolism disorder5. Prevalence surveys proved that two-thirds of AD patients were women6. Sex-specific differences in AD exist in the etiology, clinical manifestations, prevention, and treatment. Thus, revealing the biological mechanism that causes sex-specific differences in AD and targeting traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) can potentially provide a more comprehensive theoretical framework to understand the pathogenesis of AD, and to further guide accurate treatment strategy.
Neuroglial cells, especially microglia, astrocytes, and oligodendrocytes, potentially contribute to the pathogenesis of AD. In AD, microglia are activated and genetically altered, which contribute to inflammatory response, phagocytosis, and A&#946; clearance7,8; astrocyte is genetically altered, which affects synaptic activity, ion homeostasis, and energy and lipid metabolism9; oligodendrocyte is genetically altered with sex specificity, which contributes to neuronal loss, neurofibrillary tangles, and white matter lesions10,11.
In this study, we employed single-nuclei RNA sequencing (snRNA-seq) as a superior technique. Compared to single-cell RNA sequencing (scRNA-seq), snRNA-seq offers advantages in terms of sample richness, cell type integrity, and data reliability12,13. SnRNA-seq has been extensively utilized in studies focusing on AD and exploring the role of glial cells14,15,16. Its wide adoption in these research areas highlights its effectiveness in providing valuable insights into the transcriptional characteristics of glial cells in AD. By leveraging the advantages of snRNA-seq, researchers have been able to uncover crucial information regarding the involvement of glial cells in AD pathology and identify potential therapeutic targets. In order to explore sex-specific neuroglial transcriptional characteristics in AD and potential TCMs for sex specificity of AD, this study analyzed snRNA-seq data from the frontal cortex of AD patients from the NCBI GEO public database. Sex-specific differentially expressed genes (DEGs), Gene Ontology (GO), Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG), Protein-protein interaction (PPI) network, and gene-TF-miRNA network are further analyzed to reveal key biomarkers and potential pathogenesis. Finally, potential TCMs were suggested, and their active ingredients were displayed with tables by searching the Coremine Medical, TCMIP, and TCMSP databases.

Author Spotlight: Exploring Sex-Specific Glial Signatures and Therapeutic Leads for Alzheimer&amp;#39;s Disease

Biomarker Identification for Gender Specificity of Alzheimer's Disease Based on the Glial Transcriptome Profiles

Our research aims to identify gender-specific genes in glial cells, explore associated pathways, and evaluate the potential therapeutic effects of TCM on Alzheimer's disease. The present protocol analyzes a large number of single-nuclei transcriptomes from the GEO database through bioinformatics analysis. Our protocol offers advantages, including single-cell resolution, CTAP identification of biomarker discovery, and comparison of growth in different genders.Our laboratory will focus on the field of neuroscience with a parameter focus on utilizing acupuncture to enhance the treatment of neurological disorders.

Identifying Gender-Specific Glial Cell Biomarkers in Alzheimer&#39;s Disease

identifying-gender-specific-glial-cell-biomarkers-alzheimers

Research

JoVE Journal

Neuroscience

Many sex-specific biomarkers have been recently revealed in Alzheimer&#39;s disease (AD); however, cerebral glial cells were rarely reported. This study analyzed 220,095 single-nuclei transcriptomes from the frontal cortex of thirty-three AD individuals in the GEO database. Sex-specific Differentially Expressed Genes (DEGs) were identified in glial cells, including 243 in astrocytes, 1,154 in microglia, and 572 in oligodendrocytes. Gene Ontology (GO) functional annotation analyses and Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG) pathway enrichment analyses revealed functional concentration in synaptic, neural, and hormone-related pathways. Protein-protein interaction network (PPI) identified MT3, CALM2, DLG2, KCND2, PAKACB, CAMK2D, and NLGN4Y in astrocytes, TREM2, FOS, APOE, APP, and NLGN4Y in microglia, and GRIN2A, ITPR2, GNAS, and NLGN4Y in oligodendrocytes as key genes. NLGN4Y was the only gene shared by the three glia and was identified as the biomarker for the gender specificity of AD. Gene-transcription factor (TF)-miRNA coregulatory network identified key regulators for NLGN4Y and its target TCMs. Ecklonia kurome Okam (Kunbu) and Herba Ephedrae (Mahuang) were identified, and the effects of the active ingredients on AD were displayed. Finally, enrichment analysis of Kunbu and Mahuang suggested that they might act as therapeutic candidates for gender specificity of AD.

This study analyzed single-nuclei transcriptomes of thirty-three individuals with Alzheimer's disease (AD), revealing sex-specific DEGs in glial cells. Functional enrichment analysis highlighted synaptic, neural, and hormone-related pathways. Key genes, namely NLGN4Y and its regulators, were identified, and potential therapeutic candidates for gender-specific AD were proposed.

Many sex-specific biomarkers have been recently revealed in Alzheimer&#39;s disease (AD); however, cerebral glial cells were rarely reported. This study ...