This study shows that APOE4 increases lipid droplet accumulation and alters their composition in microglia, resembling a pro-inflammatory state, and overlaps with AD-associated proteomes.

Neurobiology of Disease · May 30, 2025Peer-reviewedPhysiology

APOE modulates microglial immunometabolism in response to age, amyloid pathology, and inflammatory challenge

Sangderk Lee, Nicholas A. Devanney, Lesley R. Golden, Cathryn T Smith, James L. Schwartz, Adeline E. Walsh, Harrison A. Clarke, Danielle S. Goulding, Elizabeth J. Allenger, Gabriella Morillo Segovia, Cassi M. Friday, Amy A. Gorman, Tara R. Hawkinson, Steven M. MacLean, Holden C. Williams, , Lance A. Johnson

This study investigates how APOE4 affects microglial immunometabolism across age, amyloid pathology, and inflammation using multi-omics approaches.

Cell Reports · Mar 1, 2023Peer-reviewedNeuroscience

ApoE4 drives maladaptive heterogeneity and immunometabolic responses of astrocytes

Sangderk Lee, Holden C. Williams, Amy A. Gorman, Nicholas A. Devanney, Douglas A. Harrison, Adeline E. Walsh, Danielle S. Goulding, Tony Tuck, James L. Schwartz, Diana J. Zajac, Shannon L. Macauley, Steven Estus, Julia TCW, Lance A. Johnson, Josh M. Morganti

This study shows that ApoE4 alters astrocyte immunometabolic responses to inflammation by changing their transcriptional profiles and relying on cRel transcription factor activity.

bioRxiv · Feb 6, 2023 · PreprintNeuroscience

Reduced sphingolipid biosynthesis modulates proteostasis networks to enhance longevity

Nathaniel L. Hepowit, Eric M. Blalock, Sangderk Lee, Kimberly M. Bretland, Jason A. MacGurn, Robert C. Dickson

This study investigates how myriocin, a sphingolipid biosynthesis inhibitor, enhances longevity by modulating ubiquitination and proteostasis networks in yeast.

Aging · Jan 14, 2023Peer-reviewedMolecular Biology

Declining RNA integrity in control autopsy brain tissue is robustly and asymmetrically associated with selective neuronal mRNA signal loss

Eleanor S. Johnson, Kendra E. Stenzel, Sangderk Lee, Eric M. Blalock

The paper investigates how RNA integrity numbers (RINs) affect mRNA expression in control autopsy brain tissue, finding pathway-specific and non-linear degradation patterns.

bioRxiv · Sep 7, 2021 · PreprintBioinformatics