Whole-transcriptomic profiling of human cerebral cortex tissues reveals microglia-associated molecular subtypes

Abstract

Microglia is one of the major immune cell types in the human brain and plays pivotal roles in regulating inflammatory and immune response in healthy as well as disease states. By analyzing whole transcriptomic data derived from a large cohort of postmortem cortex tissues, we identified two distinct microglial subtypes within the population. The main difference between the two subtypes lies in the differential expression levels of the C1q complex components, Fc {gamma} receptor (CD16) components and CD14. We validated our discovery in independent cohorts of brain autopsy tissues as well as in RNA-seq data generated from isolated microglia. Future investigations into the causes and physiological implications of these subtypes may shed more light on the homeostasis and regulation of the immune related processes in the brain.