Transcriptomic signatures of synaptic loss in Alzheimer's disease

Synaptic loss is a major pathological cause of cognitive impairment in Alzheimer's disease (AD). We integrated in vivo synaptic density imaging using synaptic vesicle glycoprotein 2A positron emission tomography (PET) from a prospective AD cohort with brain transcriptomic data. Partial least squares analysis identified 1,233 genes associated with synaptic loss, enriched for synaptic organization, Tau phosphorylation, cytoskeletal integrity, and ubiquitin-mediated protein degradation. Cell-type enrichment showed downregulation in glutamatergic and GABAergic neurons and upregulation in oligodendrocytes and endothelial cells. Stratification by Tau Braak staging suggested stage-dependent transcriptional programs involved in myelination and inflammation. These associations were supported by retest PET data and longitudinal analyses, which further linked progressive synaptic decline to DNA repair and telomere pathways. Proteomic profiling further highlighted mitochondrial dysfunction. Together, these findings delineate transcriptional signatures underlying synaptic decline in AD with consistency evidence across cross-sectional, retest, longitudinal, and proteomic analyses underscoring their mechanistic relevance and biomarker potential.