The TREM2-APOE pathway drives the transcriptional phenotype of dysfunctional microglia in neurodegenerative diseases I
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ABSTRACT: Microglia play a pivotal role in the maintenance of brain homeostasis, but lose their homeostatic function during the course of neurodegenerative disorders. We identified a specific APOE-dependent molecular signature in microglia isolated from mouse models of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, multiple sclerosis and Alzheimer’s disease (SOD1, EAE and APP-PS1) and in microglia surrounding neuritic A-plaques in human Alzheimer’s disease brain. This is mediated by a switch from a (M0)-homeostatic to (MGnD)-neurodegenerative phenotype following phagocytosis of apoptotic neurons via the TREM2-APOE pathway. TREM2 induces APOE signaling which is a negative regulator of the transcription program in M0-homeostatic microglia. Targeting the TREM2-APOE pathway restores the M0-homeostatic signature of microglia in APP-PS1 and SOD1 mice and prevents from neuronal loss in an acute model of neurodegeneration. In SOD1 mice, TREM2 regulates MGnD in a gender-dependent manner. APOE-mediated MGnD microglia lose their tolerogenic function. Taken together, our work identifies the TREM2-APOE pathway as a major regulator of microglial functional phenotype in neurodegenerative diseases and serves as a novel target to restore homeostatic microglia. MG468 custom-design Nanosting chips were used to identify disease-associated vs. homeostatic molecular microglia signature in microglia in different disease models and transgenic models.
ORGANISM(S): Mus musculus
PROVIDER: GSE101686 | GEO | 2017/09/19
SECONDARY ACCESSION(S): PRJNA395208
REPOSITORIES: GEO
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