Microglial SIRT2 deficiency aggravates cognitive decline and amyloid pathology in Alzheimer’s disease

Abstract

Sirtuin 2 (SIRT2), a NAD+-dependent deacetylase, has been implicated in aging and neurodegenerative diseases such as Alzheimer’s disease (AD). While global SIRT2 inhibition has shown promise in reducing amyloid-beta pathology and cognitive deficits in different mouse models of AD, peripheral SIRT2 inhibition has been associated with adverse effects, such as increased inflammation. This suggests that targeted inhibition of specific cellular populations within the brain may represent a more precise and effective approach for the treatment of AD. To explore this hypothesis, we generated a conditional microglial SIRT2 knockout mouse model in the context of AD. Our results reveal that microglial SIRT2 reduction does not confer protective effects in the APP/PS1 model; rather, it aggravates cognitive decline, accelerates amyloid plaque deposition, and increases levels of pro-inflammatory cytokines at early stages of AD pathology. Transcriptomic analysis further indicates that SIRT2-deficient microglia exhibit altered expression of genes associated with aging and synaptic dysfunction. This phenotype was accompanied by increased phagocytosis of PSD95 and impaired long-term potentiation. These findings suggest that while SIRT2 inhibition in some contexts may be beneficial, targeted inhibition within microglia could accelerate AD progression, underscoring the need for cell-specific approaches when considering SIRT2 as a therapeutic target.