Longitudinal multiomic and spatial transcriptomic profiling of lupus nephritis progression in a murine model

Lupus nephritis (LN), a severe manifestation of systemic lupus erythematosus, is characterized by progressive renal inflammation and tissue injury. To define molecular mechanisms underlying LN progression, we analyzed temporal and spatial transcriptomic profiles in kidneys of lupus-prone New Zealand Black/White F1 mice at 10, 20, and 30 weeks of age, representing preclinical, early, and advanced disease stages. Bulk RNA sequencing revealed minimal transcriptional changes between 10 and 20 weeks but marked shifts by 30 weeks, coinciding with overt nephritis. Differential expression and pathway analyses demonstrated significant upregulation of genes involved in immune cell recruitment, B-cell activation, cytokine signaling, fibrosis, and oxidative stress. To assess translational relevance, we mapped a curated human LN gene signature to orthologous mouse genes. Most orthologs showed significant temporal correlation with disease progression, indicating cross-species concordance and reinforcing the clinical relevance of the model. Spatial transcriptomics of 30-week kidneys identified 9 spatial clusters with distinct expression profiles, including regions enriched for B cells and myeloid cells. One cluster showed high expression of immunoglobulin genes and lymphocyte recruitment markers. Spatial molecular signature analysis identified inflammatory programs enriched for cytokine/chemokine and interferon pathways. Immunofluorescence confirmed peritubular TNFRSF1A expression, CCR5+ inflammatory cell accumulation, compartmentalized NRF2-HMOX1 responses, and CXCL13-associated tertiary lymphoid structure formation. These findings define stage-specific molecular programs and spatially organized immune niches in LN, providing mechanistic insight and potential targets for early intervention.