Asrij/OCIAD1 depletion reduces inflammatory microglial activation and ameliorates Aβ pathology in an Alzheimer's disease mouse model

Alzheimer’s disease (AD) is a neurodegenerative disorder characterized by the accumulation of amyloid-beta (Ab) plaques and neurofibrillary tangles, neuroinflammation, and glial activation. Asrij/OCIAD1 (Ovarian Carcinoma Immunoreactive Antigen Domain containing protein 1) is an AD-associated factor. Increased Asrij levels in the brains of AD patients and mouse models are linked to the severity of neurodegeneration. However, the contribution of Asrij to AD progression and whether reducing Asrij levels is sufficient to mitigate Ab pathology in vivo is unclear. To explore the impact of Asrij on AD pathology, we deleted asrij in the APP/PS1 mouse model of AD and analyzed the effects on AD hallmarks. We find that Asrij depletion ameliorates cognitive impairments, Ab deposition, neuronal and synaptic damage, and reactive astrogliosis in the AD mouse. Emerging evidence indicates a critical role of microglia in influencing AD pathology. Notably, Asrij-deficient microglia exhibit reduced plaque-associated proliferation and decreased phagocytic activity. Transcriptomic analyses of AD microglia reveal upregulation of energy metabolism pathways and downregulation of innate immunity and inflammatory pathways upon Asrij depletion. Mechanistically, loss of Asrij increases mitochondrial activity and Akt/mTOR signaling and impedes the pro-inflammatory Disease-Associated Microglia (DAM) state. Reduced levels of pro-inflammatory cytokines and decreased STAT3 and NF-kB activation indicate protective changes in AD microglia. Taken together, our results suggest that increased Asrij levels reported in AD, may suppress microglial metabolic activity and promote inflammatory microglial activation, thereby exacerbating AD pathology. Our study establishes a novel role for Asrij in regulating microglial responses to Ab pathology, and could be a potential target for therapeutic intervention.