Meningeal lymphatics-microglia axis regulates synaptic physiology [egfp/vegfc]
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ABSTRACT: Microglia are thought to originate exclusively from primitive macrophage progenitors in the yolk sac (YS) and persist throughout life without contributions from definitive hematopoiesis. Here, using Ms4a3-Cre lineage tracing, pharmacological manipulation, and RNA-sequencing, we elucidated the presence and unique features of monocyte-derived macrophages (MDMs) in the brain parenchyma at baseline and during microglia repopulation. Using parabiosis and skull transplantation, we show that MDMs derived from both peripheral blood and skull bone marrow can repopulate microglia-depleted brains, and they display distinct transcriptional profiles compared to YS-derived microglia. Blood-derived macrophages possess a disease-associated microglia (DAM)-like phenotype, while skull-derived macrophages mirror injury-responsive microglia (IRM) and exhibit significant interactions with T cells. Repetitive microglia depletion and subsequent MDM engraftment in 5xFAD mice led to increased amyloid burden, suggesting differential responses of resident microglia and MDMs towards amyloid pathology. Our results reveal the heterogeneous origins and functions of microglia during cell turnover and neurodegeneration, offering insights that may guide microglia-targeted immunomodulatory strategies for neurological disorders.
ORGANISM(S): Mus musculus
PROVIDER: GSE285072 | GEO | 2025/03/21
REPOSITORIES: GEO
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