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Single cell RNA sequencing confirms retinal microglia activation associated with early onset retinal degeneration
Mutations in the Membrane-type frizzled related protein ( Mfrp) gene results in an early-onset retinal degeneration associated with retinitis pigmentosa, microphthalmia, optic disc drusen and foveal schisis. In the current study, a previously characterized mouse model of human retinal degeneration c...
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Published in: | Scientific reports 2022-09, Vol.12 (1), p.15273-15273, Article 15273 |
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Main Authors: | , , , , , , |
Format: | Article |
Language: | English |
Subjects: | |
Citations: | Items that this one cites Items that cite this one |
Online Access: | Get full text |
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Summary: | Mutations in the
Membrane-type frizzled related protein
(
Mfrp)
gene results in an early-onset retinal degeneration associated with retinitis pigmentosa, microphthalmia, optic disc drusen and foveal schisis. In the current study, a previously characterized mouse model of human retinal degeneration carrying homozygous c.498_499insC mutations in
Mfrp
(
Mfrp
KI/KI
) was used. Patients carrying this mutation have retinal degeneration at an early age. The model demonstrates subretinal deposits and develops early-onset photoreceptor degeneration. We observed large subretinal deposits in
Mfrp
KI/KI
mice which were strongly CD68 positive and co-localized with autofluorescent spots. Single cell RNA sequencing of
Mfrp
KI/KI
mice retinal microglia showed a significantly higher number of pan-macrophage marker
Iba-1 and F4/80
positive cells with increased expression of activation marker (
CD68)
and lowered microglial homeostatic markers (
TMEM119, P2ry13, P2ry13, Siglech
) compared with wild type mice confirming microglial activation as observed in retinal immunostaining showing microglia activation in subretinal region. Trajectory analysis identified a small cluster of microglial cells with activation transcriptomic signatures that could represent a subretinal microglia population in
Mfrp
KI/KI
mice expressing higher levels of APOE. We validated these findings using immunofluorescence staining of retinal cryosections and found a significantly higher number of subretinal Iba-1/ApoE positive microglia in
Mfrp
KI/KI
mice with some subretinal microglia also expressing lowered levels of microglial homeostatic marker
TMEM119
, confirming microglial origin. In summary, we confirm that
Mfrp
KI/KI
mice carrying the c.498_499insC mutation had a significantly higher population of activated microglia in their retina with distinct subsets of subretinal microglia. Further, studies are required to confirm whether the association of increased subretinal microglia in MfrpKI/KI mice are causal in degeneration. |
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ISSN: | 2045-2322 2045-2322 |
DOI: | 10.1038/s41598-022-19351-w |