Single-Cell RNA-Sequencing: Astrocyte and Microglial Heterogeneity in Health and Disease
Astrocytes and microglia are non-neuronal cells that maintain homeostasis within the central nervous system via their capacity to regulate neuronal transmission and prune synapses. Both astrocytes and microglia can undergo morphological and transcriptomic changes in response to infection with human...
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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MDPI AG
2022-06-01
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| Series: | Cells |
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| Online Access: | https://www.mdpi.com/2073-4409/11/13/2021 |
| _version_ | 1797480520746008576 |
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| author | Michael S. Spurgat Shao-Jun Tang |
| author_facet | Michael S. Spurgat Shao-Jun Tang |
| author_sort | Michael S. Spurgat |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Astrocytes and microglia are non-neuronal cells that maintain homeostasis within the central nervous system via their capacity to regulate neuronal transmission and prune synapses. Both astrocytes and microglia can undergo morphological and transcriptomic changes in response to infection with human immunodeficiency virus (HIV). While both astrocytes and microglia can be infected with HIV, HIV viral proteins in the local environment can interact with and activate these cells. Given that both astrocytes and microglia play critical roles in maintaining neuronal function, it will be critical to have an understanding of their heterogeneity and to identify genes and mechanisms that modulate their responses to HIV. Heterogeneity may include a depletion or increase in one or more astrocyte or microglial subtypes in different regions of the brain or spine as well as the gain or loss of a specific function. Single-cell RNA sequencing (scRNA-seq) has emerged as a powerful tool that can be used to characterise these changes within a given population. The use of this method facilitates the identification of subtypes and changes in cellular transcriptomes that develop in response to activation and various disease processes. In this review, we will examine recent studies that have used scRNA-seq to explore astrocyte and microglial heterogeneity in neurodegenerative diseases including Alzheimer’s disease and amyotrophic lateral sclerosis as well as in response to HIV infection. A careful review of these studies will expand our current understanding of cellular heterogeneity at homeostasis and in response to specific disease states. |
| first_indexed | 2024-03-09T22:01:13Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-1095ef59cd61446f93f0813200d43fbc |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 2073-4409 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-03-09T22:01:13Z |
| publishDate | 2022-06-01 |
| publisher | MDPI AG |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Cells |
| spelling | doaj.art-1095ef59cd61446f93f0813200d43fbc2023-11-23T19:48:12ZengMDPI AGCells2073-44092022-06-011113202110.3390/cells11132021Single-Cell RNA-Sequencing: Astrocyte and Microglial Heterogeneity in Health and DiseaseMichael S. Spurgat0Shao-Jun Tang1Department of Anesthesiology, Stony Brook University, 101 Nicolls Rd, Stony Brook, New York, NY 11794, USADepartment of Anesthesiology, Stony Brook University, 101 Nicolls Rd, Stony Brook, New York, NY 11794, USAAstrocytes and microglia are non-neuronal cells that maintain homeostasis within the central nervous system via their capacity to regulate neuronal transmission and prune synapses. Both astrocytes and microglia can undergo morphological and transcriptomic changes in response to infection with human immunodeficiency virus (HIV). While both astrocytes and microglia can be infected with HIV, HIV viral proteins in the local environment can interact with and activate these cells. Given that both astrocytes and microglia play critical roles in maintaining neuronal function, it will be critical to have an understanding of their heterogeneity and to identify genes and mechanisms that modulate their responses to HIV. Heterogeneity may include a depletion or increase in one or more astrocyte or microglial subtypes in different regions of the brain or spine as well as the gain or loss of a specific function. Single-cell RNA sequencing (scRNA-seq) has emerged as a powerful tool that can be used to characterise these changes within a given population. The use of this method facilitates the identification of subtypes and changes in cellular transcriptomes that develop in response to activation and various disease processes. In this review, we will examine recent studies that have used scRNA-seq to explore astrocyte and microglial heterogeneity in neurodegenerative diseases including Alzheimer’s disease and amyotrophic lateral sclerosis as well as in response to HIV infection. A careful review of these studies will expand our current understanding of cellular heterogeneity at homeostasis and in response to specific disease states.https://www.mdpi.com/2073-4409/11/13/2021RNA-sequencingastrocytemicrogliaHIV-1 |
| spellingShingle | Michael S. Spurgat Shao-Jun Tang Single-Cell RNA-Sequencing: Astrocyte and Microglial Heterogeneity in Health and Disease Cells RNA-sequencing astrocyte microglia HIV-1 |
| title | Single-Cell RNA-Sequencing: Astrocyte and Microglial Heterogeneity in Health and Disease |
| title_full | Single-Cell RNA-Sequencing: Astrocyte and Microglial Heterogeneity in Health and Disease |
| title_fullStr | Single-Cell RNA-Sequencing: Astrocyte and Microglial Heterogeneity in Health and Disease |
| title_full_unstemmed | Single-Cell RNA-Sequencing: Astrocyte and Microglial Heterogeneity in Health and Disease |
| title_short | Single-Cell RNA-Sequencing: Astrocyte and Microglial Heterogeneity in Health and Disease |
| title_sort | single cell rna sequencing astrocyte and microglial heterogeneity in health and disease |
| topic | RNA-sequencing astrocyte microglia HIV-1 |
| url | https://www.mdpi.com/2073-4409/11/13/2021 |
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