{
  "abstract": "Diagnosis of Alzheimer’s disease (AD) relies on invasive cerebrospinal fluid analysis or costly neuroimaging, underscoring the need for minimally invasive blood-based biomarkers for early detection. Exosomes, promising biomarker carriers, are unexplored for ultra-short RNA species like abortive transcripts (ATs). We investigated whether 8-nucleotide ATs are selectively packaged into exosomes to reflect brain transcriptional dysregulation in AD. Using a transgenic AD mouse model and Aβ-stimulated BV2 microglia coupled with Base-Stacking Hybridization Assisted Ligation (BSHAL), we detected significant dysregulation of ATs from AD-relevant genes (Nefl, Bace1, Tyrobp, Ccl2, Pf4) in brain tissue; specifically, Bace1, Tyrobp, and Pf4 ATs showed robust increases (2.21-fold to 17.50-fold). These dysregulated AT signatures were mirrored in peripheral blood exosomes: Bace1, Tyrobp, and Pf4 ATs increased 10.58-, 38.72-, and 11.63-fold, respectively. Aβ-activated microglia demonstrated exosome-specific enrichment of ATs, particularly Pf4 ATs (~3510-fold increase), confirming active exosomal packaging. Exosomal ATs confer cell-type specificity for central nervous system pathology, lipid bilayer-enhanced stability, and sensitivity to transcriptional changes preceding pathological aggregation. Our findings, obtained in a transgenic mouse model and an in vitro microglial system, establish exosomal ATs as a novel class of blood-based biomarkers with potential for early AD diagnosis, pending validation in human cohorts.",
  "abstract_shown": true,
  "affiliations": [
    "Guilin Tourism University, School of Food and Health, Guilin, China",
    "Guilin Tourism University, Guangxi Engineering Research Center for Large-Scale Preparation & Nutrients and Hygiene of Guangxi Cuisine, Guilin, China",
    "Guilin Tourism University, Food Science and Technology Research Center, Guilin, China",
    "Guilin Medical University, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Guilin, China"
  ],
  "article_type": "Research Article",
  "arxiv": null,
  "author_total": 9,
  "authors": [
    {
      "affs": [
        0
      ],
      "name": "Haizhu Wu"
    },
    {
      "affs": [
        1
      ],
      "name": "Na Zhang"
    },
    {
      "affs": [
        2
      ],
      "name": "Weiwei Yan"
    },
    {
      "affs": [
        3
      ],
      "name": "Cailin Li"
    },
    {
      "name": "Xiaomei Zhang"
    },
    {
      "name": "Xianglin Xv"
    },
    {
      "name": "Fang Fang"
    },
    {
      "name": "Shaowei Qin"
    },
    {
      "name": "Lifeng Zhao"
    }
  ],
  "bibtex": "https://research.draconitic.com/paper/7zn1qwcrvbc5a.bib",
  "cited_by": 0,
  "doi": "10.1371/journal.pone.0357752",
  "fulltext_url": null,
  "id": "7zn1qwcrvbc5a",
  "issns": [
    "1932-6203"
  ],
  "landing_url": "https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0357752",
  "language": null,
  "licence": "CC-BY-4.0",
  "licence_label": "CC BY 4.0",
  "licence_source": "journal",
  "licence_url": "https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/",
  "metadata_licence": null,
  "native_subjects": [
    [
      "openalex",
      "1312|Extracellular vesicles in disease"
    ],
    [
      "plos",
      "/Biology and life sciences/Anatomy/Body fluids/Blood"
    ],
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      "/Biology and life sciences/Cell biology/Cellular structures and organelles/Vesicles"
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      "plos",
      "/Biology and life sciences/Cell biology/Cellular structures and organelles/Vesicles/Exosomes"
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      "/Biology and life sciences/Genetics/Gene expression/DNA transcription"
    ],
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      "/Biology and life sciences/Physiology/Body fluids/Blood"
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    [
      "plos",
      "/Medicine and health sciences/Anatomy/Body fluids/Blood"
    ],
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      "plos",
      "/Medicine and health sciences/Medical conditions/Neurodegenerative diseases/Alzheimer's disease"
    ],
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      "plos",
      "/Medicine and health sciences/Mental health and psychiatry/Dementia/Alzheimer's disease"
    ],
    [
      "plos",
      "/Medicine and health sciences/Neurology/Dementia/Alzheimer's disease"
    ],
    [
      "plos",
      "/Medicine and health sciences/Neurology/Neurodegenerative diseases/Alzheimer's disease"
    ],
    [
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      "/Research and analysis methods/Animal studies/Experimental organism systems/Animal models/Mouse models"
    ],
    [
      "plos",
      "/Research and analysis methods/Animal studies/Experimental organism systems/Model organisms/Mouse models"
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      "plos",
      "/Research and analysis methods/Model organisms/Mouse models"
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  "pdf_url": "https://journals.plos.org/plosone/article/file?id=10.1371/journal.pone.0357752&type=printable",
  "pmcid": null,
  "pmid": null,
  "published": "2026-09-11",
  "publisher": "Public Library of Science",
  "ris": "https://research.draconitic.com/paper/7zn1qwcrvbc5a.ris",
  "sources": [
    {
      "first_seen": "2026-10-30T12:17:56Z",
      "native_id": "10.1371/journal.pone.0357752",
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      "url": "https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0357752"
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  "subjects": [
    {
      "field": "biology",
      "origin": "plos:cell biology",
      "subfield": "cell-biology"
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    {
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      "origin": "plos:neurology",
      "subfield": "neurology"
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    {
      "field": "medicine",
      "origin": "plos:anatomy",
      "subfield": "physiology"
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  "title": "Abortive transcripts in exosomes - A potential biomarker for Alzheimer’s disease",
  "title_text": "Abortive transcripts in exosomes - A potential biomarker for Alzheimer’s disease",
  "type": "peer-reviewed",
  "updated_at": "2026-10-30T12:17:56Z",
  "url": "https://research.draconitic.com/paper/7zn1qwcrvbc5a",
  "venue": "PLOS One",
  "versions": []
}