A Distinct Population of Microglia Supports Adult Neurogenesis in the Subventricular Zone

Anna L. Ribeiro Xavier, Benjamin T. Kress, Steven A. Goldman, João R. Lacerda de Menezes, Maiken Nedergaard

    103 Citations (Scopus)

    Abstract

    Microglia are involved in synaptic pruning both in development and in the mature CNS. In this study, we investigated whether microglia might further contribute to circuit plasticity by modulating neuronal recruitment from the neurogenic subventricular zone (SVZ) of the adult mouse striatum. We found that microglia residing in the SVZ and adjacent rostral migratory stream (RMS) comprise a morpho-logically and antigenically distinct phenotype of immune effectors. Whereas exhibiting characteristics of alternatively activated micro-glia, the SVZ/RMS microglia were clearly distinguished by their low expression of purinoceptors and lack of ATP-elicitable chemotaxis. Furthermore, the in vivo depletion of these microglia hampered the survival and migration of newly generated neuroblasts through the RMS to the olfactory bulb. SVZ and RMS microglia thus appear to comprise a functionally distinct class that is selectively adapted to the support and direction of neuronal integration into the olfactory circuitry. Therefore, this unique microglial subpopulation may serve as a novel target with which to modulate cellular addition from endogenous neural stem and progenitor cells of the adult brain.

    Original languageEnglish
    JournalThe Journal of neuroscience : the official journal of the Society for Neuroscience
    Volume35
    Issue number34
    Pages (from-to)11848-11861
    Number of pages14
    ISSN0270-6474
    DOIs
    Publication statusPublished - 26 Aug 2015

    Keywords

    • Animals
    • Animals, Newborn
    • Female
    • Lateral Ventricles
    • Male
    • Mice
    • Mice, 129 Strain
    • Mice, Inbred C57BL
    • Mice, Transgenic
    • Microglia
    • Neural Stem Cells
    • Neurogenesis

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