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The microglial sensome revealed by direct RNA sequencing
Suzanne E. Hickman, Nathan D. Kingery, Toshiro K. Ohsumi, Mark L. Borowsky, Li-chong Wang, Terry K. Means, Joseph B. El Khoury. Nature Neuroscience, 2013-10-27
Topic: Brain proteins, microglia and lab models
This study used direct RNA sequencing without amplification or cDNA synthesis to analyze the quantitative transcriptomes of microglia in healthy adult and aged mice. The findings were validated using fluorescence dual in situ hybridization, unbiased proteomic analysis, and quantitative PCR. The authors identified a distinct transcriptomic signature and a unique cluster of transcripts termed the sensome, which encodes proteins for sensing endogenous ligands and microbes. They observed that sensome transcripts for recognizing endogenous ligands decreased with age, while those involved in microbe recognition and host defense increased.
Cite this study APA, Vancouver, BibTeX · download .bib or .ris
APA 7th
Hickman, S. E., Kingery, N. D., Ohsumi, T. K., Borowsky, M. L., Wang, L.-c., Means, T. K., et al. (2013). The microglial sensome revealed by direct RNA sequencing. Nature Neuroscience. https://doi.org/10.1038/nn.3554
Vancouver
Hickman SE, Kingery ND, Ohsumi TK, Borowsky ML, Wang L.-c, Means TK, et al. The microglial sensome revealed by direct RNA sequencing. Nature Neuroscience. 2013. doi:10.1038/nn.3554. PMID: 24162652.
BibTeX
@article{hickman2013-24162652,
author = {Hickman, Suzanne E. and Kingery, Nathan D. and Ohsumi, Toshiro K. and Borowsky, Mark L. and Wang, Li-chong and Means, Terry K. and El Khoury, Joseph B.},
title = {{The microglial sensome revealed by direct RNA sequencing}},
journal = {Nature Neuroscience},
year = {2013},
doi = {10.1038/nn.3554},
pmid = {24162652},
url = {https://doi.org/10.1038/nn.3554}
}
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 names 7 authors; APA and Vancouver show the first six, BibTeX and the downloads carry all of them. Check the citation against the original before you use it.
Key findings
- Microglia have a distinct transcriptomic signature and express a unique cluster of transcripts encoding proteins for sensing endogenous ligands and microbes, referred to as the sensome.
- With aging, sensome transcripts for endogenous ligand recognition were downregulated, whereas those involved in microbe recognition and host defense were upregulated.
- Aging was associated with an overall increase in the expression of microglial genes involved in neuroprotection.
Why it matters
In mice, this study mapped the set of microglial genes it calls the sensome, which lets these immune cells of the brain sense their surroundings, and found that it shifts with age. It is basic mouse research that helps explain how brain immune cells change with aging; it does not test a treatment for Alzheimer's.
How this study scored 59/100
Published in a leading specialty journal. Scored zero for study design, sample size, effect reported, studied in people and randomised / blinded because the record does not state it. We have no data on strength of evidence, so that was left out: it earned 56 of the 95 points we could judge it on, which is 59 out of 100.
| Component | Points | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Journal tier | 9 / 10 | Tier 2 — leading specialty journal (Nature Neuroscience) |
| Journal's citation record | 4 / 4 | Nature Neuroscience: journal h-index 593 (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 | — / 5 | No evidence rating recorded — left out of this score |
| Peer-review validation | 10 / 10 | Peer-reviewed. Published as an article in a named peer-reviewed journal. |
| How recent | 1 / 5 | 2013 — within 20 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 | 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 / 7 | Cited 1,506 times (OpenAlex, 2026-10-10) |
| Citations per year | 5 / 5 | 100.4 citations a year over 15 year(s) since 2013 |
| Impact for its field and year | 5 / 6 | Cited 35.6× 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 | 4 / 4 | Cited 314 times in 2024–2026 (2026 still in progress; OpenAlex) |
| Senior author's track record | 3 / 4 | Last-listed author Joseph B. El Khoury: h-index 51 (OpenAlex, whole career) |
| Institution's track record | 3 / 3 | Harvard University: institution h-index 3,235 (OpenAlex) |
| Multi-centre collaboration | 1 / 3 | OpenAlex lists 3 institution(s) in 1 country |
| Indexed in PubMed | 2 / 2 | Indexed in PubMed (PMID 24162652) |
| Free to read | 2 / 2 | Free to read |
| Points | 56 / 95 | Scored on 19 of 20 parts. We have no data for the rest, so they are left out: 56 of the 95 points we could judge it on is 59 out of 100. |
| Total | 59 / 100 | — |
What each of these 20 components measures, and what this score is not →
Read the original
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