Single-nucleus RNA-sequencing reveals oligodendrocytes and their progenitors as vulnerable cell types in prefrontal cortex and anterior cingulate of brains with Parkinson's disease

Several prior studies have proposed the involvement of various brain regions and cell types in Parkinson's disease (PD) pathology. Here, we performed snRNA-seq on the prefrontal cortex and anterior cingulate regions from post-mortem control and PD brain tissue. We found a dramatic association of oligodendrocytes and oligodendrocyte precursor cells with PD-linked risk loci and reported several dysregulated genes and pathways, including regulation of tau-protein kinase activity, regulation of inclusion body assembly and protein processing involved in protein targeting to mitochondria.