Abstract
Sporadic Alzheimer's disease (AD) exclusively affects elderly people. Using direct conversion of AD patient fibroblasts into induced neurons (iNs), we generated an age-equivalent neuronal model. AD patient-derived iNs exhibit strong neuronal transcriptome signatures characterized by downregulation of mature neuronal properties and upregulation of immature and progenitor-like signaling pathways. Mapping iNs to longitudinal neuronal differentiation trajectory data demonstrated that AD iNs reflect a hypo-mature neuronal identity characterized by markers of stress, cell cycle, and de-differentiation. Epigenetic landscape profiling revealed an underlying aberrant neuronal state that shares similarities with malignant transformation and age-dependent epigenetic erosion. To probe for the involvement of aging, we generated rejuvenated iPSC-derived neurons that showed no significant disease-related transcriptome signatures, a feature that is consistent with epigenetic clock and brain ontogenesis mapping, which indicate that fibroblast-derived iNs more closely reflect old adult brain stages. Our findings identify AD-related neuronal changes as age-dependent cellular programs that impair neuronal identity.
Original language | English |
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Pages (from-to) | 1533-1548.e6 |
Journal | Cell Stem Cell |
Volume | 28 |
Issue number | 9 |
DOIs | |
State | Published - 2 Sep 2021 |
Bibliographical note
Publisher Copyright:© 2021 The Author(s)
Keywords
- Alzheimer's disease
- aging
- de-differentiation
- induced neurons (iNs)
- neuronal cell cycle re-entry
- rejuvenation
ASJC Scopus subject areas
- Molecular Medicine
- Genetics
- Cell Biology