Astrocyte–neuron subproteomes and obsessive–compulsive disorder mechanisms

Astrocytes and neurons extensively interact in the brain. Identifying astrocyte and neuron proteomes is essential for elucidating the protein networks that dictate their respective contributions to physiology and disease. Here we used cell-specific and subcompartment-specific proximity-dependent biotinylation(1) to study the proteomes of striatal astrocytes and neurons in vivo. We evaluated cytosolic and plasma membrane compartments for astrocytes and neurons to discover how these cells differ at the protein level in their signalling machinery. We also assessed subcellular compartments of astrocytes, including end feet and fine processes, to reveal their subproteomes and the molecular basis of essential astrocyte signalling and homeostatic functions. Notably, SAPAP3 (encoded by Dlgap3), which is associated with obsessive–compulsive disorder (OCD) and repetitive behaviours(2–8), was detected at high levels in striatal astrocytes and was enriched within specific astrocyte subcompartments where it regulated actin cytoskeleton organization. Furthermore, genetic rescue experiments combined with behavioural analyses and molecular assessments in a mouse model of OCD(4) lacking SAPAP3 revealed distinct contributions of astrocytic and neuronal SAPAP3 to repetitive and anxiety-related OCD-like phenotypes. Our data define how astrocytes and neurons differ at the protein level and in their major signalling pathways. Moreover, they reveal how astrocyte subproteomes vary between physiological subcompartments and how both astrocyte and neuronal SAPAP3 mechanisms contribute to OCD phenotypes in mice. Our data indicate that therapeutic strategies that target both astrocytes and neurons may be useful to explore in OCD and potentially other brain disorders.