Role of Astrocytes in Ca2+- Dependent Microglia Modulation of Synaptic Activity
Abstract
The roles of intracellular microglia Ca2+ dynamics in CNS function remain unknown. In particular, it is unclear what factors drive Ca2+ transients in microglia processes and whether Ca2+ transients in microglia drive the process motility observed in vivo. It is also unknown if Ca2+ transients and process movements play a role in the release of soluble factors that potentially modulate neuronal excitability. To date, the study of these issues has been hampered due to an inability to monitor intracellular microglia Ca2+ transients in intact animals. To address this problem, our group has generated floxed mice expressing GCaMP5G and the Ca2+ insensitive tdTomato marker to study the role of intracellular Ca2+ dynamics in microglia process extension and retraction. Our preliminary data using GCaMP5G animals and 2-photon Ca2+ imaging indicates that in the acute brain slice preparation, the application of ATP leads to an immediate rise in intracellular Ca2+ closely associated with microglia process movement. Similarly, our in vivo experiments in anesthetized animals indicate a close association between microglia intracellular Ca2+ transients and movement processes.
Document Details
- Document Type
- Technical Report
- Publication Date
- Jul 17, 2023
- Accession Number
- AD1223089
Entities
People
- Nathan A. Smith