Brain-derived exosomal hemoglobin transfer contributes to neuronal mitochondrial homeostasis under hypoxia

Hypoxia is an important physiological stress causing nerve injuries and several brain diseases. However, the mechanism of brain response to hypoxia remains unclear, thus limiting the development of interventional strategies. This study conducted combined analyses of single-nucleus transcriptome sequencing and extracellular vesicle transcriptome sequencing on hypoxic mouse brains, described cell-cell communication in the brain under hypoxia from intercellular and extracellular dimensions, confirmed that hemoglobin mRNA was transferred from non-neuronal cells to neurons, and eventually expressed. Then we further explored the role of exosomal hemoglobin transfer in vitro, using human-derived cell lines, and clarified that hypoxia promoted the transfer and expression of exosomal hemoglobin between endothelial cells and neurons. We found the vital function of exosomal hemoglobin to protect against neurological injury by maintaining mitochondrial homeostasis in neurons. In conclusion, this study identified a novel mechanism of 'mutual aid' in hypoxia responses in the brain, involving exosomal hemoglobin transfer, clarified the important role of exosomal communication in the process of brain stress response, and provided a novel interventional perspective for hypoxia-related brain diseases.