Obesity and Alzheimer’s disease (AD) are epidemiologically associated. The locus coeruleus (LC)—the brain’s primary and most significant source of norepinephrine—is one of the earliest sites of neurod Show more
Obesity and Alzheimer’s disease (AD) are epidemiologically associated. The locus coeruleus (LC)—the brain’s primary and most significant source of norepinephrine—is one of the earliest sites of neurodegeneration in AD. The LC participates in feeding behavior through connections with the hypothalamus. The cellular composition of the LC has been characterized at single-cell resolution. However, the constituent cellular signatures of genes related to energy homeostasis—such as the melanocortin pathway genes—in the LC are unclear. We performed single-nucleus RNA sequencing and spatial transcriptomics (Visium) in the human LC, and HiPlex RNAscope in the LC of mice. The melanocortin pathway gene The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1186/s40478-026-02287-x. Show less