The role of microglia and their CX3CR1 signaling in adult neurogenesis in the olfactory bulb

Ronen Reshef, Elena Kudryavitskaya, Haran Shani-Narkiss, Batya Isaacson, Neta Rimmerman, Adi Mizrahi, Raz Yirmiya*

*Corresponding author for this work

Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

78 Scopus citations

Abstract

Microglia play important roles in perinatal neuro-and synapto-genesis. To test the role of microglia in these processes during adulthood, we examined the effects of microglia depletion, via treatment of mice with the CSF-1 receptor antagonist PLX5622, and abrogated neuronal-microglial communication in CX3C receptor-1 deficient (Cx3cr1-/-) mice. Microglia depletion significantly lowered spine density in young (developing) but not mature adult-born-granule-cells (abGCs) in the olfactory bulb. Two-photon time-lapse imaging indicated that microglia depletion reduced spine formation and elimination. Functionally, odor-evoked responses of mitral cells, which are normally inhibited by abGCs, were increased in microglia-depleted mice. In Cx3cr1-/-mice, abGCs exhibited reduced spine density, dynamics and size, concomitantly with reduced contacts between Cx3cr1-deficient microglia and abGCs’ dendritic shafts, along with increased proportion of microglia-contacted spines. Thus, during adult neurogenesis, microglia regulate the elimination (pruning), formation, and maintenance of synapses on newborn neurons, contributing to the functional integrity of the olfactory bulb circuitry.

Original languageEnglish
Article numbere30809
JournaleLife
Volume6
DOIs
StatePublished - 18 Dec 2017

Bibliographical note

Publisher Copyright:
© Reshef et al.

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