Human Adult Glial Progenitors Are Transcriptionally Distinct from Their Fetal Counterparts [scRNA-seq]
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ABSTRACT: Glial progenitor cells (GPCs), the primary source of oligodendrocytes and astrocytes in the human CNS, emerge during the 2nd trimester of human development and subsequently colonize the brain, where a pool remains throughout adulthood. While fetal GPCs are highly migratory and proliferative, there is evidence that their capacities diminish throughout aging or as a result of demyelination-induced exhaustion, thus compromising their ability to mobilize, remyelinate, and self-renew. To investigate this mechanism, we first utilized bulk and scRNA-Sequencing to characterize the human fetal GPC pool and leveraged these data to elucidate transcriptional discrepancies in adult human GPCs. This revealed age-induced transcriptional shifts towards loss of proliferative competency and the potential onset of senescence. Further, we inferred adult networks of direct repressive transcription factor activity that may drive functional decline during GPC aging. Finally, we coupled these data with miRNA profiling of both populations to establish both upstream and parallel arms of repression that may stifle the functional aptitude of aged GPCs. These identified upstream regulators may be ideal therapeutic targets toward rejuvenating GPCs crippled by mitotic exhaustion or aging.
ORGANISM(S): Homo sapiens
PROVIDER: GSE165995 | GEO | 2024/01/29
REPOSITORIES: GEO
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