Unveiling migraine subtype heterogeneity and risk loci: integrated genome-wide association study and single-cell transcriptomics discovery.

BACKGROUND

Migraine, a debilitating neurological disorder with distinct subtypes (migraine with aura [MA] and migraine without aura [MO]), exhibits genetic and spatial heterogeneity that remains poorly understood. While genetic correlations between subtypes are established, spatially resolved molecular mechanisms driving their divergent clinical phenotypes-particularly in tissue microenvironments-are unclear, limiting targeted therapeutic development.

METHODS

We integrated genome-wide association study (GWAS) data from FinnGen R11 and international cohorts with transcriptomic, epigenomic, and spatially resolved single-cell spatial transcriptomics (sc-ST) profiles. Genetic correlations and functional annotations were assessed using Linkage Disequilibrium Score Regression (LDSC), High-Definition Likelihood (HDL), and partitioned heritability analyses. A multi-omics framework combined Summary Mendelian Randomization (SMR) for expression and methylation quantitative trait loci (eQTL/mQTL), Functional Summary-based Imputation (FUSION), Multi-marker Analysis of GenoMic Annotation (MAGMA), Joint-Tissue Imputation Enhanced PrediXcan Analysis (JTI-PrediXcan), and the Polygenic Priority Score (PoPS) to systematically prioritize genes based on methodological robustness (≥ 2 analytical approaches) and cross-subtype consistency. Tissue-enriched specificity was validated via genetically informed spatial mapping of cells for complex traits (gsMap), a novel algorithm integrating sc-ST and GWAS data to map subtype-associated cellular architectures at single-cell resolution across embryonic tissues.

RESULTS

LDSC and HDL confirmed strong genetic correlations between MA and MO. But they showed divergent functional architectures in functional genomic annotations, with MA enriched in conserved regulatory elements (e.g., Backgrd_Selection_StatL2_0, enrichment = 1.38, P = 5.47 × 10-6) and MO in vascular pathways (e.g., GERP.NSL2_0, enrichment = 2.12, P = 1.04 × 10-6). Sc-ST revealed spatially divergent niches: MA showed prenatal enrichment in neural crest-derived tissues (jaw primordium, p = 0.0039) and hypothalamic microglial adjacencies, aligning with neuroimmune regulation, while MO exhibited peripheral tropism in vascular smooth muscle and gut-brain interfaces, corroborated by LDSC-SEG/MAGMA vascular pathways. Multi-omics integration identified high-confidence cross-subtype genes (LRP1 [PoPS: Overall = 3.67, MO = 0.80], PHACTR1 [PoPS: Overall = 2.65, MA = 0.33, MO = 1.28], STAT6 [PoPS: Overall = 3.00, MO = 2.29], RDH16, TTC24, ZBTB39, FHL5, MEF2D, NAB2, UFL1, and REEP3) supported by ≥ 2 methods. Subtype-specific genes included MA-associated neuronal regulators (CACNA1A, KLHDC8B) and MO-specific vascular/metabolic genes (e.g., ACO2, BCAR1, CCDC134).

CONCLUSION

Our study delineates spatially constrained mechanisms underlying migraine heterogeneity: MA arises from neuroimmune-epigenetic dysregulation, while MO is driven by vascular-metabolic perturbations. Key genes and pathways provide actionable targets for subtype-specific therapies. By bridging genetic architecture with spatial biology, we redefine migraine pathogenesis and precision intervention strategies.