Lifelong absence of microglia alters hippocampal glutamatergic networks but not synapse and spine density

ABSTRACT: Microglia sculpt developing neural circuits by eliminating excess synapses in a process called synaptic pruning, by removing apoptotic neurons, and by promoting neuronal survival. To elucidate the role of microglia during embryonic and postnatal brain development, we used a mouse model deficient in microglia throughout life by deletion of the fms-intronic regulatory element (FIRE) in the Csf1r locus. Surprisingly, young adult Csf1rΔFIRE/ΔFIRE mice displayed no changes in excitatory and inhibitory synapse number and spine density of CA1 hippocampal neurons compared to Csf1r+/+ littermates. However, CA1 neurons were less excitable, received less CA3 excitatory input and showed altered synaptic properties, but this did not affect novel object recognition. Cytokine profiling indicated an anti-

SUBMITTER: Mr. Michael Surala 

PROVIDER: S-SCDT-10_1038-S44319-024-00130-9 | biostudies-other |

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-other