Home › Research › TREM2 and immune genetics
Nrf2 regulates the arginase 1+ microglia phenotype through the initiation of TREM2 transcription, ameliorating depression-like behavior in mice
He L, Zheng Y, Huang L, Ye J, Ye Y, Luo H, Chen X, Yao W et al.. Translational psychiatry, 2022-10-31
Topic: Brain proteins, microglia and lab models
The expression of the triggering receptor on myeloid cell-2 (TREM2) knockdown in microglia from the lateral habenula (LHb) reportedly induces depression-like behaviors in mice. However, the key molecular mechanism that mediates major depressive disorder (MDD) pathogenesis remains elusive. We herein show that Nrf2 regulates TREM2 transcription and effects TREM2 mRNA and protein expression.
Key findings
- However, the key molecular mechanism that mediates major depressive disorder (MDD) pathogenesis remains elusive.
- We herein show that Nrf2 regulates TREM2 transcription and effects TREM2 mRNA and protein expression.
- The activation of Nrf2 by sulforaphane (Nrf2 activator) increases the microglial arginase 1 + phenotype by initiating TREM2 transcription in the medial prefrontal cortex (mPFC) and ameliorates depression-like behavior in CSDS mice.
- The knockout of Nrf2 decreases TREM2 and the microglial arginase 1 + phenotype in the mPFC of Nrf2 KO mice with depression-like behavior.
Why it matters
In mice, activating Nrf2 increased the microglial arginase 1+ phenotype by initiating TREM2 transcription and reduced depression-like behavior. This is animal research about depression, not Alzheimer's disease, and does not show a treatment or cure for Alzheimer's.
New to this subject? Start with our plain-English guide: Genetics →
Study details
- Evidence strengthLow
How this study scored 42/100
Published in a peer-reviewed journal. Scored zero for study design, sample size, effect reported and randomised / blinded because the record does not state it.
| Component | Points | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Journal tier | 7 / 10 | Tier 3 — peer-reviewed journal (Translational psychiatry) |
| Journal's citation record | 2 / 4 | Translational Psychiatry: journal h-index 180 (OpenAlex, 2026-10-29) |
| Study design | 0 / 12 | No study design recorded — scores zero, not guessed (not stated in the record — scored 0) |
| Strength of evidence | 1 / 5 | Rated “low” in our summary |
| Peer-review validation | 10 / 10 | Peer-reviewed. Published as an article in a named peer-reviewed journal. |
| How recent | 3 / 5 | 2022 — within 6 year(s) of the newest study here |
| Sample size | 0 / 4 | Participant count not stated — scores zero (not stated in the record — scored 0) |
| Effect reported | 0 / 3 | No effect size reported — scores zero (not stated in the record — scored 0) |
| Studied in people | 0 / 3 | Laboratory or animal study (title names “mice”) — scores zero |
| Randomised / blinded | 0 / 2 | No randomisation or blinding stated — scores zero (not stated in the record — scored 0) |
| Times cited | 4 / 7 | Cited 56 times (OpenAlex, 2026-10-10) |
| Citations per year | 3 / 5 | 9.3 citations a year over 6 year(s) since 2022 |
| Impact for its field and year | 3 / 6 | Cited 3.3× the average for papers of its field and year (OpenAlex FWCI) |
| Cited by studies here | 0 / 6 | No other study in this library cites it |
| Still being cited | 2 / 4 | Cited 44 times in 2024–2026 (2026 still in progress; OpenAlex) |
| Senior author's track record | 2 / 4 | Last-listed author Ji‐chun Zhang: h-index 24 (OpenAlex, whole career) |
| Institution's track record | 0 / 3 | Guangzhou Medical University: institution h-index 468 (OpenAlex) |
| Multi-centre collaboration | 1 / 3 | OpenAlex lists 3 institution(s) in 1 country |
| Indexed in PubMed | 2 / 2 | Indexed in PubMed (PMID 36316319) |
| Free to read | 2 / 2 | Free to read |
| Total | 42 / 100 | — |
What each of these 20 components measures, and what this score is not →
Read the original
- DOI: 10.1038/s41398-022-02227-y
- PubMed: 36316319
- Original source →
- Free full text: Translational Psychiatry →
Full text: free to read — OpenAlex lists this copy as free to read: the link above (checked 6 Feb 1020).
Cite this study APA, Vancouver, BibTeX · download .bib or .ris
Built from the record alzhub holds for this paper, not looked up. Volume, issue and page numbers are not held in the record. The record's author list ends in “et al.”, so not every author is named. Check the citation against the original before you use it.
APA 7th
He, L., Zheng, Y., Huang, L., Ye, J., Ye, Y., Luo, H., et al. (2022). Nrf2 regulates the arginase 1+ microglia phenotype through the initiation of TREM2 transcription, ameliorating depression-like behavior in mice. Translational psychiatry. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41398-022-02227-y
Vancouver
He L, Zheng Y, Huang L, Ye J, Ye Y, Luo H, et al. Nrf2 regulates the arginase 1+ microglia phenotype through the initiation of TREM2 transcription, ameliorating depression-like behavior in mice. Translational psychiatry. 2022. doi:10.1038/s41398-022-02227-y. PMID: 36316319.
BibTeX
@article{he2022-36316319,
author = {He, L. and Zheng, Y. and Huang, L. and Ye, J. and Ye, Y. and Luo, H. and Chen, X. and Yao, W. and others},
title = {{Nrf2 regulates the arginase 1+ microglia phenotype through the initiation of TREM2 transcription, ameliorating depression-like behavior in mice}},
journal = {Translational psychiatry},
year = {2022},
doi = {10.1038/s41398-022-02227-y},
pmid = {36316319},
url = {https://doi.org/10.1038/s41398-022-02227-y}
}
Studies this one cites
Referenced by this study and also in the alzhub library, so you can read them here.
Related studies in TREM2 and immune genetics
Also tagged “macrophages”
363 studies in the library carry the topic tag “macrophages”; these are this study's neighbours in a fixed, alphabetical-by-hash tour of them, not the closest in content. All 363 tagged studies.