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0This research paper establishes a high-throughput single-cell proteomics (SCP) atlas of mouse microglia to investigate how these immune cells change during aging. By optimizing a label-free workflow, the authors profiled over 3,000 individual cells from the hippocampus and prefrontal cortex across various life stages. The study identifies a distinct "phagoproteome," consisting of engulfed external proteins like synaptic and myelin components, which increases as the mice age. These findings reveal five unique microglial subpopulations with specific functional states and phagocytic preferences that are not always visible through traditional RNA sequencing. Ultimately, the data provides a crucial resource for understanding spatiotemporal proteomic heterogeneity and the shift toward pro-inflammatory states in the aging brain.
References:
Zhang H, Liu Z, Chen B, et al. Single-cell proteome atlas of aging mouse microglia reveals subpopulation-specific phagoproteome[J]. Neuron, 2026.
