This paper provides a rigorously validated single-nucleus RNA-seq atlas of colon tissue from Pink1 knockout and wild-type mice, identifying major cell types and their transcriptional changes associated with Pink1 loss.

As Pink1 is a PD-linked regulator of mitochondrial quality control, this gut-focused single-cell resource enables hypothesis-driven exploration of gut-brain signaling, cell-type-specific mitochondrial and immune alterations, and potential gut-derived biomarkers or therapeutic targets relevant to…

PTEN-induced kinase 1 (Pink1), a familial Parkinson's associated gene, is a key regulator of mitochondrial and cellular energy homeostasis. Mutations in Pink1 disrupt mitophagy and perturbations in gastrointestinal homeostasis. This suggests the possibility that Pink1 deficiency may influence neurodegenerative processes by altering gut-to-brain signaling mechanisms. To facilitate investigation of gut-specific consequences of Pink1 deficiency, we generated a single-nucleus RNA sequencing (snRNA-seq) dataset from gut tissue of wild-type (WT) and Pink1 knockout (KO) mice. We identified major cell populations such as goblet cells, immune cells, and colonocytes, and characterized their transcriptional profiles. For technical validation, we utilized a publicly available murine gut (snRNA-seq) dataset. We then applied anchor-based label transfer and confirmed cell-type assignments via random forest classification. This rigorously validated dataset provides a robust resource for exploring shifts in cell-type composition and transcriptional alterations associated with Pink1 loss.