Single-cell transcriptomic profiling of the aging mouse brain

M Ximerakis, SL Lipnick, BT Innes, SK Simmons… - Nature …, 2019 - nature.com
M Ximerakis, SL Lipnick, BT Innes, SK Simmons, X Adiconis, D Dionne, BA Mayweather
Nature neuroscience, 2019nature.com
The mammalian brain is complex, with multiple cell types performing a variety of diverse
functions, but exactly how each cell type is affected in aging remains largely unknown. Here
we performed a single-cell transcriptomic analysis of young and old mouse brains. We
provide comprehensive datasets of aging-related genes, pathways and ligand–receptor
interactions in nearly all brain cell types. Our analysis identified gene signatures that vary in
a coordinated manner across cell types and gene sets that are regulated in a cell-type …
Abstract
The mammalian brain is complex, with multiple cell types performing a variety of diverse functions, but exactly how each cell type is affected in aging remains largely unknown. Here we performed a single-cell transcriptomic analysis of young and old mouse brains. We provide comprehensive datasets of aging-related genes, pathways and ligand–receptor interactions in nearly all brain cell types. Our analysis identified gene signatures that vary in a coordinated manner across cell types and gene sets that are regulated in a cell-type specific manner, even at times in opposite directions. These data reveal that aging, rather than inducing a universal program, drives a distinct transcriptional course in each cell population, and they highlight key molecular processes, including ribosome biogenesis, underlying brain aging. Overall, these large-scale datasets (accessible online at https://portals.broadinstitute.org/single_cell/study/aging-mouse-brain) provide a resource for the neuroscience community that will facilitate additional discoveries directed towards understanding and modifying the aging process.
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