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Schneider Y, Gauer C, Andert M, Hoffmann A, Riemenschneider MJ, Krebs W, Chalmers N, Lötzsch C, Naumann UJ, Xiang W, Rothhammer V, Beckervordersandforth R, Schlachetzki JCM, Winkler J. Distinct forebrain regions define a dichotomous astrocytic profile in multiple system atrophy. Acta Neuropathol Commun 2024; 12:1. [PMID: 38167307 PMCID: PMC10759635 DOI: 10.1186/s40478-023-01699-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/09/2023] [Accepted: 11/28/2023] [Indexed: 01/05/2024] Open
Abstract
The growing recognition of a dichotomous role of astrocytes in neurodegenerative processes has heightened the need for unraveling distinct astrocytic subtypes in neurological disorders. In multiple system atrophy (MSA), a rare, rapidly progressing atypical Parkinsonian disease characterized by increased astrocyte reactivity. However the specific contribution of astrocyte subtypes to neuropathology remains elusive. Hence, we first set out to profile glial fibrillary acidic protein levels in astrocytes across the human post mortem motor cortex, putamen, and substantia nigra of MSA patients and observed an overall profound astrocytic response. Matching the post mortem human findings, a similar astrocytic phenotype was present in a transgenic MSA mouse model. Notably, MSA mice exhibited a decreased expression of the glutamate transporter 1 and glutamate aspartate transporter in the basal ganglia, but not the motor cortex. We developed an optimized astrocyte isolation protocol based on magnetic-activated cell sorting via ATPase Na+/K+ transporting subunit beta 2 and profiled the transcriptomic landscape of striatal and cortical astrocytes in transgenic MSA mice. The gene expression profile of astrocytes in the motor cortex displayed an anti-inflammatory signature with increased oligodendroglial and pro-myelinogenic expression pattern. In contrast, striatal astrocytes were defined by elevated pro-inflammatory transcripts accompanied by dysregulated genes involved in homeostatic functions for lipid and calcium metabolism. These findings provide new insights into a region-dependent, dichotomous astrocytic response-potentially beneficial in the cortex and harmful in the striatum-in MSA suggesting a differential role of astrocytes in MSA-related neurodegenerative processes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Y Schneider
- Department of Molecular Neurology, University Hospital Erlangen, Friedrich-Alexander-University Erlangen-Nürnberg, Schwabachanlage 6, 91054, Erlangen, Germany
| | - C Gauer
- Department of Molecular Neurology, University Hospital Erlangen, Friedrich-Alexander-University Erlangen-Nürnberg, Schwabachanlage 6, 91054, Erlangen, Germany
| | - M Andert
- Department of Molecular Neurology, University Hospital Erlangen, Friedrich-Alexander-University Erlangen-Nürnberg, Schwabachanlage 6, 91054, Erlangen, Germany
| | - A Hoffmann
- Department of Molecular Neurology, University Hospital Erlangen, Friedrich-Alexander-University Erlangen-Nürnberg, Schwabachanlage 6, 91054, Erlangen, Germany
- UK Dementia Research Institute, The University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, UK
- Keenan Research Centre for Biomedical Science, St Michael's Hospital, Toronto, ON, Canada
- Department of Immunology, The University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada
| | - M J Riemenschneider
- Department of Neuropathology, Regensburg University Hospital, 93053, Regensburg, Germany
| | - W Krebs
- Core Unit Bioinformatics, Data Integration and Analysis (CUBiDA), University Hospital Erlangen, Friedrich-Alexander-Universität Erlangen-Nürnberg, 91054, Erlangen, Germany
| | - N Chalmers
- Institute of Biochemistry, Friedrich-Alexander-University Erlangen-Nürnberg, 91054, Erlangen, Germany
| | - C Lötzsch
- Institute of Biochemistry, Friedrich-Alexander-University Erlangen-Nürnberg, 91054, Erlangen, Germany
| | - U J Naumann
- Department of Neurology, University Hospital Erlangen, Friedrich-Alexander-University Erlangen-Nürnberg, 91054, Erlangen, Germany
| | - W Xiang
- Department of Molecular Neurology, University Hospital Erlangen, Friedrich-Alexander-University Erlangen-Nürnberg, Schwabachanlage 6, 91054, Erlangen, Germany
| | - V Rothhammer
- Department of Neurology, University Hospital Erlangen, Friedrich-Alexander-University Erlangen-Nürnberg, 91054, Erlangen, Germany
| | - R Beckervordersandforth
- Institute of Biochemistry, Friedrich-Alexander-University Erlangen-Nürnberg, 91054, Erlangen, Germany
| | - J C M Schlachetzki
- Department of Cellular and Molecular Medicine, University of California-San Diego, La Jolla, CA, 92093, USA
| | - J Winkler
- Department of Molecular Neurology, University Hospital Erlangen, Friedrich-Alexander-University Erlangen-Nürnberg, Schwabachanlage 6, 91054, Erlangen, Germany.
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