Microglial microRNAs mediate sex-specific responses to tau pathology

Sex is a key modifier of neurological disease outcomes. Microglia are implicated in neurological diseases and modulated by miRNAs, but it is unknown whether microglial miRNAs have sex-specific influences on disease. We show that microglial miRNA expression differs in males and females, and loss of miRNAs leads to sex-specific changes in the microglial transcriptome and to tau pathology. These findings suggest microglial miRNAs influence tau pathogenesis in a sex-specific manner. Examination of microRNA expression in microglia isolated from female and male control and P301S tauopathy mouse samples. Examination of mRNA expression in microglia isolated from female and male Dicer WT, Dicer KO, and P301S Dicer KO mouse samples.性别是影响神经系统疾病转归的关键调节因素。小胶质细胞（microglia）与神经系统疾病密切相关，且可受微小RNA（microRNA/miRNA）调控，但目前尚不明确小胶质细胞源性微小RNA是否会对疾病产生性别特异性影响。本研究证实，小胶质细胞的微小RNA表达存在性别差异；缺失微小RNA会导致小胶质细胞转录组发生性别特异性改变，并引发tau蛋白病理变化。上述研究结果表明，小胶质细胞源性微小RNA可通过性别特异性方式调控tau蛋白的致病过程。本数据集包含两项检测：其一为对取自雌雄对照小鼠及P301S tau病变模型小鼠的分离小胶质细胞进行微小RNA表达检测；其二为对取自雌雄Dicer野生型、Dicer基因敲除以及P301S背景Dicer基因敲除小鼠的分离小胶质细胞进行信使RNA（mRNA）表达检测。