biostudies-literatureUnknown13(1)Kara BSoluble tau oligomeric assemblies display neurotoxic properties and may provide a pathogenic link between neurofibrillary tangle evolution and selective neuronal vulnerability in Alzheimer's disease (AD). However, the precise molecular and cellular pathways mediating tau oligomer toxicity are unclear. We combined single-neuron laser capture microdissection with custom microarrays to investigate differences in the molecular signatures of basal forebrain neurons within the nucleus basalis of Meynert (nbM) labeled for p75^NTR, a cholinergic cell marker, or dual-labeled for p75^NTR and TOC1, a tau oligomer marker. Tissue was obtained postmortem from Rush Religious Orders Study participants who died with an antemortem clinical diagnosis of no cognitive impairment (NCI), mildActa neuropathologica communications218https://www.ebi.ac.uk/biostudies/studies/S-EPMC12557935biostudies-literatureNeuronal gene profiling of tau oligomer-bearing cholinergic nucleus basalis neurons during the onset of Alzheimer's disease.PMC12557935Kara BKanaan NMBeck JSMufson EJFu ZHickey SLGinsberg SDCounts SEfalseNeuronal gene profiling of tau oligomer-bearing cholinergic nucleus basalis neurons during the onset of Alzheimer's disease.Soluble tau oligomeric assemblies display neurotoxic properties and may provide a pathogenic link between neurofibrillary tangle evolution and selective neuronal vulnerability in Alzheimer's disease (AD). However, the precise molecular and cellular pathways mediating tau oligomer toxicity are unclear. We combined single-neuron laser capture microdissection with custom microarrays to investigate differences in the molecular signatures of basal forebrain neurons within the nucleus basalis of Meynert (nbM) labeled for p75^NTR, a cholinergic cell marker, or dual-labeled for p75^NTR and TOC1, a tau oligomer marker. Tissue was obtained postmortem from Rush Religious Orders Study participants who died with an antemortem clinical diagnosis of no cognitive impairment (NCI), mild2025-01-01T00:00:00Z2025 Oct2026-05-14T03:25:13.745Z2026-05-14T03:12:40.994ZS-EPMC125579354114634210.1186/s40478-025-02080-2