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Trem2 expression in microglia is required to maintain normal neuronal bioenergetics during development
Tagliatti E, Desiato G, Mancinelli S, Bizzotto M, Gagliani MC, Faggiani E, Hernández-Soto R, Cugurra A et al.. Immunity, 2023-12-29
Topic: Brain proteins, microglia and lab models
Triggering receptor expressed on myeloid cells 2 (Trem2) is a myeloid cell-specific gene expressed in brain microglia, with variants that are associated with neurodegenerative diseases, including Alzheimer's disease. Trem2 is essential for microglia-mediated synaptic refinement, but whether Trem2 contributes to shaping neuronal development remains unclear. Here, we demonstrate that Trem2 plays a key role in controlling the bioenergetic profile of pyramidal neurons during development.
Key findings
- Trem2 is essential for microglia-mediated synaptic refinement, but whether Trem2 contributes to shaping neuronal development remains unclear.
- Here, we demonstrate that Trem2 plays a key role in controlling the bioenergetic profile of pyramidal neurons during development.
- In the absence of Trem2, developing neurons in the hippocampal cornus ammonis (CA)1 but not in CA3 subfield displayed compromised energetic metabolism, accompanied by reduced mitochondrial mass and abnormal organelle ultrastructure.
- This was paralleled by the transcriptional rearrangement of hippocampal pyramidal neurons at birth, with a pervasive alteration of metabolic, oxidative phosphorylation, and mitochondrial gene signatures, accompanied by a delay in the maturation of CA1 neurons.
Why it matters
In developing mice, lacking Trem2 left neurons in one part of the hippocampus with compromised energy metabolism and abnormal mitochondria. This is early animal work on brain development and does not show that any treatment prevents or cures Alzheimer's disease.
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Study details
- Evidence strengthLow
How this study scored 54/100
Published in a peer-reviewed journal. Scored zero for study design, sample size, effect reported, studied in people and randomised / blinded because the record does not state it.
| Component | Points | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Journal tier | 7 / 10 | Tier 3 — peer-reviewed journal (Immunity) |
| Journal's citation record | 4 / 4 | Immunity: journal h-index 567 (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 | 4 / 5 | 2024 — within 3 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 | 4 / 7 | Cited 88 times (OpenAlex, 2026-10-10) |
| Citations per year | 4 / 5 | 22.0 citations a year over 4 year(s) since 2024 |
| Impact for its field and year | 3 / 6 | Cited 7.4× the average for papers of its field and year (OpenAlex FWCI) |
| Cited by studies here | 1 / 6 | Cited by 2 other studies in this library |
| Still being cited | 3 / 4 | Cited 88 times in 2024–2026 (2026 still in progress; OpenAlex) |
| Senior author's track record | 3 / 4 | Last-listed author Michela Matteoli: h-index 74 (OpenAlex, whole career) |
| Institution's track record | 3 / 3 | Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique: institution h-index 2,511 (OpenAlex) |
| Multi-centre collaboration | 3 / 3 | OpenAlex lists 11 institution(s) in 4 countries |
| Indexed in PubMed | 2 / 2 | Indexed in PubMed (PMID 38159572) |
| Free to read | 2 / 2 | Free to read |
| Total | 54 / 100 | — |
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Read the original
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
Tagliatti, E., Desiato, G., Mancinelli, S., Bizzotto, M., Gagliani, M. C., Faggiani, E., et al. (2024). Trem2 expression in microglia is required to maintain normal neuronal bioenergetics during development. Immunity. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.immuni.2023.12.002
Vancouver
Tagliatti E, Desiato G, Mancinelli S, Bizzotto M, Gagliani MC, Faggiani E, et al. Trem2 expression in microglia is required to maintain normal neuronal bioenergetics during development. Immunity. 2024. doi:10.1016/j.immuni.2023.12.002. PMID: 38159572.
BibTeX
@article{tagliatti2024-38159572,
author = {Tagliatti, E. and Desiato, G. and Mancinelli, S. and Bizzotto, M. and Gagliani, M. C. and Faggiani, E. and Hernández-Soto, R. and Cugurra, A. and others},
title = {{Trem2 expression in microglia is required to maintain normal neuronal bioenergetics during development}},
journal = {Immunity},
year = {2024},
doi = {10.1016/j.immuni.2023.12.002},
pmid = {38159572},
url = {https://doi.org/10.1016/j.immuni.2023.12.002}
}
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