Gpnmb defines a phagocytic state of microglia linked to cell death in prion disease mouse model

Abstract

Abstract 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.