TY - JOUR
T1 - Changes in the transcriptional fingerprint of satellite glial cells following peripheral nerve injury
AU - Jager, Sara E
AU - Pallesen, Lone T
AU - Richner, Mette
AU - Harley, Peter
AU - Hore, Zoe
AU - McMahon, Stephen
AU - Denk, Franziska
AU - Vaegter, Christian B
N1 - © 2020 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
PY - 2020/7/1
Y1 - 2020/7/1
N2 - Satellite glial cells (SGCs) are homeostatic cells enveloping the somata of peripheral sensory and autonomic neurons. A wide variety of neuronal stressors trigger activation of SGCs, contributing to, for example, neuropathic pain through modulation of neuronal activity. However, compared to neurons and other glial cells of the nervous system, SGCs have received modest scientific attention and very little is known about SGC biology, possibly due to the experimental challenges associated with studying them in vivo and in vitro. Utilizing a recently developed method to obtain SGC RNA from dorsal root ganglia (DRG), we took a systematic approach to characterize the SGC transcriptional fingerprint by using next-generation sequencing and, for the first time, obtain an overview of the SGC injury response. Our RNA sequencing data are easily accessible in supporting information in Excel format. They reveal that SGCs are enriched in genes related to the immune system and cell-to-cell communication. Analysis of SGC transcriptional changes in a nerve injury-paradigm reveal a differential response at 3 days versus 14 days postinjury, suggesting dynamic modulation of SGC function over time. Significant downregulation of several genes linked to cholesterol synthesis was observed at both time points. In contrast, regulation of gene clusters linked to the immune system (MHC protein complex and leukocyte migration) was mainly observed after 14 days. Finally, we demonstrate that, after nerve injury, macrophages are in closer physical proximity to both small and large DRG neurons, and that previously reported injury-induced proliferation of SGCs may, in fact, be proliferating macrophages.
AB - Satellite glial cells (SGCs) are homeostatic cells enveloping the somata of peripheral sensory and autonomic neurons. A wide variety of neuronal stressors trigger activation of SGCs, contributing to, for example, neuropathic pain through modulation of neuronal activity. However, compared to neurons and other glial cells of the nervous system, SGCs have received modest scientific attention and very little is known about SGC biology, possibly due to the experimental challenges associated with studying them in vivo and in vitro. Utilizing a recently developed method to obtain SGC RNA from dorsal root ganglia (DRG), we took a systematic approach to characterize the SGC transcriptional fingerprint by using next-generation sequencing and, for the first time, obtain an overview of the SGC injury response. Our RNA sequencing data are easily accessible in supporting information in Excel format. They reveal that SGCs are enriched in genes related to the immune system and cell-to-cell communication. Analysis of SGC transcriptional changes in a nerve injury-paradigm reveal a differential response at 3 days versus 14 days postinjury, suggesting dynamic modulation of SGC function over time. Significant downregulation of several genes linked to cholesterol synthesis was observed at both time points. In contrast, regulation of gene clusters linked to the immune system (MHC protein complex and leukocyte migration) was mainly observed after 14 days. Finally, we demonstrate that, after nerve injury, macrophages are in closer physical proximity to both small and large DRG neurons, and that previously reported injury-induced proliferation of SGCs may, in fact, be proliferating macrophages.
KW - dorsal root ganglion
KW - macrophages
KW - nerve injury
KW - nociceptors
KW - pain
KW - peripheral nervous system
KW - satellite glial cells
KW - transcriptome
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=85079362977&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.1002/glia.23785
DO - 10.1002/glia.23785
M3 - Article
C2 - 32045043
SN - 0894-1491
VL - 68
SP - 1375
EP - 1395
JO - Glia
JF - Glia
IS - 7
ER -