Transcriptome analysis of myeloid cells (CD11b) and astrocytes (ACSA2) from the striatum and midbrain of control and parkinsonian animals

Inflammation is a common feature in neurodegenerative diseases that participates in the process of neuronal loss. Here, we questioned whether the inflammatory reaction generated in Parkinson´s disease (PD) by dopaminergic neuron degeneration would trigger specific inflammatory reactions in the midbrain and in the striatum that could modify the course of neuronal death. Experimental parkinsonism was induced by overexpressing a-synuclein in the substantia nigra with a viral vector. Bulk RNA sequencing of purified midbrain microglia/myeloid cells showed a phagocytic and anti-inflammatory M2 phenotype, while midbrain astrocytes presented a pro-inflammatory state. In the striatum, microglia but not astrocytes presented a pro-inflammatory state. Overall design: Control mice were injected with an AAV9-Control (AAV9-IRES-mCherry) and Syn mice were injected with an AAV9-Syn (AAV9-Syn-IRES-mCherry) into the substantia nigra by stereotaxic surgery. Mice were sacrifized 2 weeks after surgery, and CD11b+ and ACSA2+ cells were purified from the striatum and the midbrain to perform RNA sequencing.