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Public-Data Reanalysis Links MS4A4A to M2-like Human Myeloid States and Supports a Predicted Four-Pass Transmembrane Fold
Lin S, Li M, Wang S, Li E, Sun H, Li L.. bioRxiv, 2026-08-24
Topic: Inflammation, microglia and astrocytes
MS4A4A was higher in M2 (IL-4) than in M1 (IFN-γ + LPS) macrophages in all three donors (log2 fold change +2.68, adjusted P = 0.0013). Its promoter showed the highest mean accessibility in M2. MS4A4A was macrophage- enriched in liver and monocyte-enriched in blood, and was detected in 76.7% of M2-like versus 39.3% of M1-like liver macrophages, with the difference driven mainly by the proportion of positive cells. AlphaFold confidently modelled the four transmembrane helices (mean pLDDT 83.1), but the predicted MS4A4A–MS4A6A interface was not supported (ipTM 0.59). MS4A4A is consistently associated with the M2 side of human myeloid activation across independent transcriptomic, chromatin, and single- cell datasets. The findings are associative, and the proposed MS4A4A–MS4A6A interface remains an untested structural hypothesis.
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APA 7th
Lin, S., Li, M., Wang, S., Li, E., Sun, H., & Li, L. (2026). Public-Data Reanalysis Links MS4A4A to M2-like Human Myeloid States and Supports a Predicted Four-Pass Transmembrane Fold. bioRxiv. https://doi.org/10.64898/2026.08.19.745820
Vancouver
Lin S, Li M, Wang S, Li E, Sun H, Li L. Public-Data Reanalysis Links MS4A4A to M2-like Human Myeloid States and Supports a Predicted Four-Pass Transmembrane Fold. bioRxiv. 2026. doi:10.64898/2026.08.19.745820.
BibTeX
@article{lin2026-160e62d4,
author = {Lin, S. and Li, M. and Wang, S. and Li, E. and Sun, H. and Li, L.},
title = {{Public-Data Reanalysis Links MS4A4A to M2-like Human Myeloid States and Supports a Predicted Four-Pass Transmembrane Fold}},
journal = {bioRxiv},
year = {2026},
doi = {10.64898/2026.08.19.745820},
url = {https://doi.org/10.64898/2026.08.19.745820}
}
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Key findings
- MS4A4A was higher in M2 (IL-4) than in M1 (IFN-γ + LPS) macrophages in all three donors (log2 fold change +2.68, adjusted P = 0.0013).
- Its promoter showed the highest mean accessibility in M2.
- MS4A4A was macrophage- enriched in liver and monocyte-enriched in blood, and was detected in 76.7% of M2-like versus 39.3% of M1-like liver macrophages, with the difference driven mainly by the proportion of positive cells.
- AlphaFold confidently modelled the four transmembrane helices (mean pLDDT 83.1), but the predicted MS4A4A–MS4A6A interface was not supported (ipTM 0.59).
- MS4A4A is consistently associated with the M2 side of human myeloid activation across independent transcriptomic, chromatin, and single- cell datasets.
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Study details
- Effect size76.7%; 39.3%
- Evidence strengthLow
How this study scored 16/100
Preprint — not yet peer-reviewed. It scored 24 on the same rubric, but non-peer-reviewed sources are capped at 16, so it shows as 16. Scored zero for study design, sample size, studied in people and randomised / blinded because the record does not state it. We have no data on times cited, citations per year, impact for its field and year, cited by studies here, still being cited, senior author's track record, institution's track record and multi-centre collaboration, so those were left out: it earned 15 of the 62 points we could judge it on, which is 24 out of 100.
| Component | Points | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Journal tier | 2 / 10 | Tier 4 — not a peer-reviewed journal (bioRxiv) |
| Journal's citation record | 0 / 4 | Not a journal article, so the journal's record does not count |
| 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 | 4 / 10 | Preprint — not yet peer-reviewed. Hosted on a preprint server. |
| How recent | 5 / 5 | 2026 — within 1 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 | 2 / 3 | Effect reported as a number, without an interval or test |
| Studied in people | 0 / 3 | Not stated whether this was studied in people — scores zero (not stated in the record — scored 0) |
| Randomised / blinded | 0 / 2 | No randomisation or blinding stated — scores zero (not stated in the record — scored 0) |
| Times cited | — / 7 | No citation count (not found in OpenAlex) — left out of this score |
| Citations per year | — / 5 | No citation count or no year — left out of this score |
| Impact for its field and year | — / 6 | No field-weighted citation impact (OpenAlex has none yet) — left out of this score |
| Cited by studies here | — / 6 | Not yet checked against this library's citation graph — left out of this score |
| Still being cited | — / 4 | No yearly citation counts — left out of this score |
| Senior author's track record | — / 4 | Senior author's record not available — left out of this score |
| Institution's track record | — / 3 | No institution listed in OpenAlex — left out of this score |
| Multi-centre collaboration | — / 3 | Institutions not listed — left out of this score |
| Indexed in PubMed | 1 / 2 | Not in PubMed, but has a DOI |
| Free to read | 0 / 2 | Behind a paywall — scores zero |
| Points | 15 / 62 | Scored on 12 of 20 parts. We have no data for the rest, so they are left out: 15 of the 62 points we could judge it on is 24 out of 100. |
| Total | 24 / 100 | Capped to 16 because this is not a peer-reviewed article. |
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