Integrative Analysis of Single-Cell and Bulk Sequencing Data Depicting the Expression and Function of P2ry12 in Microglia Post Ischemia-Reperfusion Injury.

is a microglial marker gene. Recently, increasing evidence has demonstrated that its expression levels can vary in response to different CNS disorders and can affect microglial functions, such as polarization, plasticity, and migration. However, the expression and function of in microglia during ischemia-reperfusion injury (IRI) remain unclear. Here, we developed a computational method to obtain microglia-specific genes (MSPGs) using sequencing data associated with IRI. We evaluated the change in comprehensive expression levels of MSPGs during IRI and compared it to the expression of to determine similarity. Subsequently, the MSPGs were used to explore the functions in microglia through bioinformatics. Moreover, several animal experiments were also conducted to confirm the reliability of the results. The expression of was observed to decrease gradually within 24 h post injury. In response, microglia with reduced expression showed an increase in the expression of one receptor-encoding gene () and three ligand-encoding genes (, , and ). Furthermore, double-labeling immunofluorescence staining revealed that inhibition of P2ry12 blocked microglial migration towards vessels during IRI. Overall, we employ a combined computational and experimental approach to successfully explore expression and function in microglia during IRI.