Evidence from numerous studies has revealed the synchronous progression of aging in bone and muscle; however, little is known about the underlying mechanisms. To this end, human muscles and bones are harvested and the aging-associated transcriptional dynamics of two tissues in parallel using single-cell RNA sequencing are surveyed. A subset of lipid-associated macrophages (triggering receptor expressed on myeloid cells 2, TREM2+ Macs) is identified in both aged muscle and bone. Genes responsible for muscle dystrophy and bone loss, such as secreted phosphoprotein 1 (SPP1), are also highly expressed in TREM2+ Macs, suggesting its conserved role in aging-related features. A common transition toward pro-inflammatory phenotypes in aged CD4+ T cells across tissues is also observed, activated by the nuclear factor kappa B subunit 1 (NFKB1). CD4+ T cells in aged muscle experience Th1-like differentiation, whereas, in bone, a skewing toward Th17 cells is observed. Furthermore, these results highlight that degenerated myocytes produce BAG6-containing exosomes that can communicate with Th17 cells in the bone through its receptor natural cytotoxicity triggering receptor 3 (NCR3). This communication upregulates CD6 expression in Th17 cells, which then interact with TREM2+ Macs through CD6-ALCAM signaling, ultimately stimulating the transcription of SPP1 in TREM2+ Macs. The negative correlation between serum exosomal BCL2-associated athanogene 6 (BAG6) levels and bone mineral density further supports its role in mediating muscle and bone synchronization with aging.
Keywords: aging; bone loss; muscle loss; sarcopenia; single cell analysis.
© 2023 The Authors. Advanced Science published by Wiley-VCH GmbH.