Neuron-specific expression of transmembrane protein 130 (TMEM130)

Transmembrane protein 130 (TMEM130) was identified as significantly downregulated in rupture-prone intracranial aneurysm lesions in a rat model. This study aimed to characterize TMEM130 tissue distribution and physiological function in rats. RNA sequencing was conducted on rupture-prone intracranial aneurysm lesions and control arterial tissues to identify differentially expressed genes. Tmem130 mRNA spatial expression patterns were examined by in situ hybridization across multiple rat organs. A Tmem130-deficient rat line was generated using the CRISPR-Cas9 system to evaluate potential functional effects. Histological analyses and open-field behavioral tests were performed to assess neuronal morphology and locomotor or anxiety-like behavior, respectively. In situ hybridization revealed that Tmem130 expression was restricted to the brain and adrenal medulla, with widespread localization in neurons throughout cortical and subcortical regions. Here, TMEM130 was detected only in transcriptional level due to the absence of TMEM130-specific antibody. Tmem130^-/- rats were viable and showed no gross histological abnormalities in brain structures or significant differences in locomotor or anxiety-like behavior compared with wild-type littermates. No phenotypic abnormalities were observed under standard laboratory conditions. TMEM130 is specifically and broadly expressed in neurons; however, the molecule may not be essential for basic neuronal structure or behavior in rats, although subtle, developmental, stress-dependent, or disease-relevant functions were not evaluated. Although its precise physiological role remains unclear, TMEM130 may represent a novel neuron-associated transmembrane protein, warranting further investigation into its molecular function in the central nervous system.