Transcriptomic architecture of nuclei in the marmoset CNS

In the United States, nearly one million individuals live with multiple sclerosis (MS), a condition that lacks an effective treatment for repairing MS lesions. In pursuit of understanding the cellular underpinnings of MS, my postdoctoral research at the National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke aims to investigate the cellular dynamics of MS-like lesions using an experimental autoimmune encephalomyelitis (EAE) model in marmosets. As a crucial initial step, I conducted a comprehensive survey of nucleus transcriptomes across various brain regions in healthy marmosets, ultimately establishing the Callithrix jacchus Primate Cell Atlas (CjPCA, accessible at https://cjpca.ninds.nih.gov). I found that white matter glial subtypes show increased reactivity, transcriptional aging, more frequent interactions with neighboring cells, and differentially contribute to neurological disorders compared to gray matter glia. In contrast, gray matter glia maintain neural tube patterning gene expression into adulthood and share six limiting transcription factors. This study unveiled spatial patterns in glial cells linked to myelin levels in normal conditions, potentially contributing to regional disease responses.

Citation: Lin JP, Kelly HM, Song Y, Kawaguchi R, Geschwind DH, Jacobson S, Reich DS. Nat Commun 2022 Sep
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