Skip to content
DraconiticResearch
Search Sources API
203,948 studies31 sourcesUpdated 38 min ago
Peer-reviewedCC BY 4.0Frontiers in Neuroscience

Nicotine and tobacco smoke reshape neuronal signaling networks from a single-nucleus transcriptomic perspective

  • Jian Jiang1
  • Anfu Hu1
  • Yixiao Jin1
  • Xia Li1
  • Guo-Jun Zhou1
  • Yi Shen2
  • Chengyun Xu3
  • Xing Ji3
  • Ximei Wu4,5
  • Hong-Juan Wang6
6 affiliations
  1. 1China Tobacco Zhejiang Industrial Co., Ltd.
  2. 2China Tobacco Sichuan Industrial Co., Ltd.
  3. 3Department of Pharmacology, Hangzhou City University School of Medicine
  4. 4Shulan International Medical College, Zhejiang Shuren University
  5. 5Department of Pharmacology, Zhejiang University School of Medicine
  6. 6China National Tobacco Quality Supervision and Test Center
Read full textPDFDOICite

Abstract

Nicotine and cigarette smoke exposure significantly impact brain function, yet their distinct cellular and molecular mechanisms remain unclear. To address this, we conducted comprehensive single-nucleus RNA sequencing (snRNA-seq) analysis on whole-brain samples and specifically on the ventral tegmental area (VTA) of adult C57BL/6 mice following nicotine or smoke exposure. Our study identified 18 major transcriptionally distinct cell populations across the whole brain and 27 distinct clusters within the VTA, covering major neuronal and glial cell types. Differential gene expression and KEGG pathway enrichment analyses revealed distinct transcriptional responses: nicotine exposure was associated with enrichment of synaptic and addiction-related transcriptional pathways in neuronal populations, including dopaminergic and glutamatergic pathways, whereas smoke exposure was associated with broader enrichment of metabolic-, immune-, and endocrine-related pathways. CellChat predicted condition-associated communication differences, including higher inferred NRXN communication from excitatory neurons to oligodendrocytes and other excitatory neurons under nicotine exposure. Smoke exposure also increased oligodendrocyte PISD expression, a transcriptomic change potentially associated with mitochondrial phospholipid metabolism. Collectively, these data define cell-type-specific transcriptional and predicted communication signatures of nicotine and smoke exposure that require functional validation.

Related

  1. An Overview of the Crosstalk Dysregulation Between miRNAs and Signaling Pathways in Cancer: A Recent Perspective on Regulatory Networks
    Abdulaziz A. Aloliqi, Abdullah M. Alnuqaydan, Amjad Ali Khan
    International Journal of Molecular SciencesPeer-reviewedCC BY 4.0General biochemistryCrossref
  2. The Endogenous Negative Allosteric Modulator, Lynx1, Inhibits Nicotinic Cholinergic Signaling in the Ventral Tegmental Area to Regulate Nicotine Reinforcement
    Yasmine Sherafat, Malia Bautista, Kendyl N. Laumann +6
    The Journal of NeurosciencePeer-reviewedPublisher termsFull textMolecular biology & gene regulationPMC
  3. A Review of the Roles of Calcium Signaling and Homeostasis in Nicotine Addiction: A Mechanistic Hypothesis Involving ATP2B2/PMCA2 and α7-Nicotinic Acetylcholine Receptors
    Tingting Wang, Xuemei Liang, Bo Xiang +2
    Medical Science Monitor: International Medical Journal of Experimental and Clinical ResearchPeer-reviewedCC BY-NC-ND 4.0Full textMolecular biology & gene regulationPMC
  4. DHA elongates the neuronal primary cilium through GPR40-mediated signaling
    Kento Karita, Mariko Yokota, Yuzuki Toyonaga +6
    Frontiers in cell and developmental biologyPeer-reviewedCC BYFull textGeneral biochemistryEurope PMC
  5. Butyrate Triggers Neuronal Signaling via Release of Colonic Serotonin in a Microfluidic Model of Gut-Brain Axis
    Awurama Ofori-Kwafo, Hemaa Sree Kumar, Emily B. Otmanowski +5
    American journal of physiology. Gastrointestinal and liver physiologyPeer-reviewedCC BYFull textMolecular biology & gene regulationPMC

Cite

BibTeXRIS
BibTeX
@article{jiang2026nicotine,
  title = {{Nicotine and tobacco smoke reshape neuronal signaling networks from a single-nucleus transcriptomic perspective}},
  author = {Jian Jiang and Anfu Hu and Yixiao Jin and Xia Li and Guo-Jun Zhou and Yi Shen and Chengyun Xu and Xing Ji and Ximei Wu and Hong-Juan Wang},
  journal = {Frontiers in Neuroscience},
  year = {2026},
  month = oct,
  doi = {10.3389/fnins.2026.1953804},
  url = {https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fnins.2026.1953804/full},
  note = {CC BY 4.0},
}
RIS
TY  - JOUR
TI  - Nicotine and tobacco smoke reshape neuronal signaling networks from a single-nucleus transcriptomic perspective
AU  - Jian Jiang
AU  - Anfu Hu
AU  - Yixiao Jin
AU  - Xia Li
AU  - Guo-Jun Zhou
AU  - Yi Shen
AU  - Chengyun Xu
AU  - Xing Ji
AU  - Ximei Wu
AU  - Hong-Juan Wang
PY  - 2026
DA  - 2026/10/07
JO  - Frontiers in Neuroscience
DO  - 10.3389/fnins.2026.1953804
UR  - https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fnins.2026.1953804/full
AB  - Nicotine and cigarette smoke exposure significantly impact brain function, yet their distinct cellular and molecular mechanisms remain unclear. To address this, we conducted comprehensive single-nucleus RNA sequencing (snRNA-seq) analysis on whole-brain samples and specifically on the ventral tegmental area (VTA) of adult C57BL/6 mice following nicotine or smoke exposure. Our study identified 18 major transcriptionally distinct cell populations across the whole brain and 27 distinct clusters within the VTA, covering major neuronal and glial cell types. Differential gene expression and KEGG pathway enrichment analyses revealed distinct transcriptional responses: nicotine exposure was associated with enrichment of synaptic and addiction-related transcriptional pathways in neuronal populations, including dopaminergic and glutamatergic pathways, whereas smoke exposure was associated with broader enrichment of metabolic-, immune-, and endocrine-related pathways. CellChat predicted condition-associated communication differences, including higher inferred NRXN communication from excitatory neurons to oligodendrocytes and other excitatory neurons under nicotine exposure. Smoke exposure also increased oligodendrocyte PISD expression, a transcriptomic change potentially associated with mitochondrial phospholipid metabolism. Collectively, these data define cell-type-specific transcriptional and predicted communication signatures of nicotine and smoke exposure that require functional validation.
SN  - 1662-453X
SN  - 1662-4548
ER  -