Gpnmb defines a phagocytic state of microglia linked to cell death in prion disease mouse model
Neurodegenerative disorders display brain region tropism accompanied by the emergence of distinct cellular states that contribute to disease pathogenesis, with molecular alterations occurring predominantly in glial cells. Here we show the emergence of a microglial state with distinct spatial distribution in the brains of terminally sick prion-infected mice characterized by high expression of Gpnmb (glycoprotein non-metastatic melanoma protein B), transcriptional signatures consistent with phagocytic activity, and increased expression of lysosomal genes in regions undergoing pronounced cell death. We find that this cellular state is not induced by pathological protein aggregates but by soluble factors released by dying cells regardless of the initiating insult. This work defines Gpnmb⁺ microglia as a distinct phagocytic state that links cell death to microglial activation and reveals a generalizable mechanism by which microglia respond to cell loss.
Authors
- Marc Emmenegger (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-6073-8811)
- Jeanne Droux (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0009-0008-7711-6673)
- Giulia Miracca (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-9141-2806)
- Marián Hruška-Plocháň (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-9253-4362)
- Beatrice Gatta
- Davide Caredio (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-3723-894X)
- Giovanni Mariutti (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0009-0000-1305-0689)
- Martina Cerisoli
- Yasmine Laimeche
- Adriano Aguzzi
- Lisa Polzer
- Inga Zerr
- Mohamad El Amki (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-1245-5283)
- Matthias Schmitz
- Magdalini Polymenidou (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-1271-9445)
- Susanne Wegener (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-4369-7023)
- Elena De Cecco (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-0148-2596)
Institutions
- University of Zurich (CH)
- University of St.Gallen (CH)
- University Hospital of Basel (CH)
- University Hospital of Zurich (CH)
- University of Göttingen (DE)
Publication Details
- Journal
- Nature Communications
- Published
- 2026-05-12
- DOI
- https://doi.org/10.1038/s41467-026-73003-5
- Primary Topic
- Neuroinflammation and Neurodegeneration Mechanisms
- Type
- article
- Field-Weighted Citation Impact
- 0.00
Funders
- Michael J. Fox Foundation for Parkinson's Research
- Human Frontier Science Program
- Schweizerischer Nationalfonds zur Förderung der Wissenschaftlichen Forschung
- NOMIS Stiftung