Project description:Isolation of glia from Alzheimer's mice reveals inflammation and dysfunction. Reactive astrocytes and microglia are associated with amyloid plaques in Alzheimer's disease (AD). Yet, not much is known about the molecular alterations underlying this reactive phenotype. To get an insight into the molecular changes underlying AD induced astrocyte and microglia reactivity, we performed a transcriptional analysis on acutely isolated astrocytes and microglia from the cortex of aged controls and APPswe/PS1dE9 AD mice. As expected, both cell types acquired a proinflammatory phenotype, which confirms the validity of our approach. Interestingly, we observed that the immune alteration in astrocytes was relatively more pronounced than in microglia. Concurrently, our data reveal that astrocytes display a reduced expression of neuronal support genes and genes involved in neuronal communication. The microglia showed a reduced expression of phagocytosis and/or endocytosis genes. Co-expression analysis of a human AD expression data set and the astrocyte and microglia data sets revealed that the inflammatory changes in astrocytes were remarkably comparable in mouse and human AD, whereas the microglia changes showed less similarity. Based on these findings we argue that chronically proinflammatory astrocyte and microglia phenotypes, showing a reduction of genes involved in neuronal support and neuronal signaling, are likely to contribute to the neuronal dysfunction and cognitive decline in AD. 2 cell types from 2 conditions: cortical microglia and cortical astrocytes from 15-18 month old APPswe/PS1dE9 mice compared to wildtype littermates. Biological replicates: microglia from APPswe/PS1dE9, N=7, microglia from WT, N=7, astrocytes from APPswe/PS1dE9, N=4, microglia from WT, N=4
Project description:GFAP and vimentin deficiency alters gene expression in astrocytes and microglia in wild-type mice and changes the transcriptional response of reactive glia in mouse model for Alzheimer's disease. Reactive astrocytes with an increased expression of intermediate filament (IF) proteins Glial Fibrillary Acidic Protein (GFAP) and Vimentin (VIM) surround amyloid plaques in Alzheimer's disease (AD). The functional consequences of this upregulation are unclear. To identify molecular pathways coupled to IF regulation in reactive astrocytes, and to study the interaction with microglia, we examined WT and APPswe/PS1dE9 (AD) mice lacking either GFAP, or both VIM and GFAP, and determined the transcriptome of cortical astrocytes and microglia from 15- to 18-month-old mice. Genes involved in lysosomal degradation (including several cathepsins) and in inflammatory response (including Cxcl5, Tlr6, Tnf, Il1b) exhibited a higher AD-induced increase when GFAP, or VIM and GFAP, were absent. The expression of Aqp4 and Gja1 displayed the same pattern. The downregulation of neuronal support genes in astrocytes from AD mice was absent in GFAP/VIM null mice. In contrast, the absence of IFs did not affect the transcriptional alterations induced by AD in microglia, nor was the cortical plaque load altered. Visualizing astrocyte morphology in GFAP-eGFP mice showed no clear structural differences in GFAP/VIM null mice, but did show diminished interaction of astrocyte processes with plaques. Microglial proliferation increased similarly in all AD groups. In conclusion, absence of GFAP, or both GFAP and VIM, alters AD-induced changes in gene expression profile of astrocytes, showing a compensation of the decrease of neuronal support genes and a trend for a slightly higher inflammatory expression profile. However, this has no consequences for the development of plaque load, microglial proliferation, or microglial activation. 2 cell types from 6 conditions: cortical microglia and cortical astrocytes from 15-18 month old APPswe/PS1dE9 mice compared to wildtype littermates. Biological replicates: microglia from APPswe/PS1dE9, N=7, microglia from WT, N=7, astrocytes from APPswe/PS1dE9, N=4, microglia from WT, N=4
Project description:Functional recruitment of microglia depends on OXPHOS in vivo. OXPHOS upregualtion correlates with phagocytic activity of microglia in physiologycal conditions and with proinflammatory microglia in pathological conditions. We used microarrays to detail the global programme of gene expression underlying loss of mitochondrial Complex I in microglia cells and its impact in astrocytes gene expression.
Project description:GFAP and vimentin deficiency alters gene expression in astrocytes and microglia in wild-type mice and changes the transcriptional response of reactive glia in mouse model for Alzheimer's disease. Reactive astrocytes with an increased expression of intermediate filament (IF) proteins Glial Fibrillary Acidic Protein (GFAP) and Vimentin (VIM) surround amyloid plaques in Alzheimer's disease (AD). The functional consequences of this upregulation are unclear. To identify molecular pathways coupled to IF regulation in reactive astrocytes, and to study the interaction with microglia, we examined WT and APPswe/PS1dE9 (AD) mice lacking either GFAP, or both VIM and GFAP, and determined the transcriptome of cortical astrocytes and microglia from 15- to 18-month-old mice. Genes involved in lysosomal degradation (including several cathepsins) and in inflammatory response (including Cxcl5, Tlr6, Tnf, Il1b) exhibited a higher AD-induced increase when GFAP, or VIM and GFAP, were absent. The expression of Aqp4 and Gja1 displayed the same pattern. The downregulation of neuronal support genes in astrocytes from AD mice was absent in GFAP/VIM null mice. In contrast, the absence of IFs did not affect the transcriptional alterations induced by AD in microglia, nor was the cortical plaque load altered. Visualizing astrocyte morphology in GFAP-eGFP mice showed no clear structural differences in GFAP/VIM null mice, but did show diminished interaction of astrocyte processes with plaques. Microglial proliferation increased similarly in all AD groups. In conclusion, absence of GFAP, or both GFAP and VIM, alters AD-induced changes in gene expression profile of astrocytes, showing a compensation of the decrease of neuronal support genes and a trend for a slightly higher inflammatory expression profile. However, this has no consequences for the development of plaque load, microglial proliferation, or microglial activation.
Project description:Isolation of glia from Alzheimer's mice reveals inflammation and dysfunction. Reactive astrocytes and microglia are associated with amyloid plaques in Alzheimer's disease (AD). Yet, not much is known about the molecular alterations underlying this reactive phenotype. To get an insight into the molecular changes underlying AD induced astrocyte and microglia reactivity, we performed a transcriptional analysis on acutely isolated astrocytes and microglia from the cortex of aged controls and APPswe/PS1dE9 AD mice. As expected, both cell types acquired a proinflammatory phenotype, which confirms the validity of our approach. Interestingly, we observed that the immune alteration in astrocytes was relatively more pronounced than in microglia. Concurrently, our data reveal that astrocytes display a reduced expression of neuronal support genes and genes involved in neuronal communication. The microglia showed a reduced expression of phagocytosis and/or endocytosis genes. Co-expression analysis of a human AD expression data set and the astrocyte and microglia data sets revealed that the inflammatory changes in astrocytes were remarkably comparable in mouse and human AD, whereas the microglia changes showed less similarity. Based on these findings we argue that chronically proinflammatory astrocyte and microglia phenotypes, showing a reduction of genes involved in neuronal support and neuronal signaling, are likely to contribute to the neuronal dysfunction and cognitive decline in AD.
Project description:Type I interferons (IFN-I) are crucial for effective antimicrobial defence in the central nervous system (CNS) but also can cause severe neurological disease (termed cerebral interferonopathy) as exemplified by Aicardi-Goutières Syndrome and chronic viral infection. In the CNS, microglia and astrocytes have essential roles in host responses to infection and injury, with both cell types responding to IFN-I. However, the extent to which the IFN-I responses of these cells differ, if at all, is still unknown. Here we determined the global transcriptional responses of astrocytes and microglia to the IFN-I, IFN-alpha. MGCs were prepared from 2–4 day-old C57BL/6 mice. Purified primary astrocytes were obtained from the MGCs by magnetic activated cell sorting using anti-CD11b beads. Microglia were obtained from mixed glial cell cultures by mechanical shaking for 4 h. After treating astrocytes and microglia with IFN-alpha for 12 h, microarray using Affymetrix mouse genome array 430 2.0 array was performed on total RNA extracted from these cells. We found that under basal conditions, each cell type has a unique gene expression pattern reflective of its developmental origin and biological function. Following stimulation with IFN-alpha for 12 h, astrocytes and microglia also displayed a common core response that was characterized by the increased expression of genes required for pathogen detection and elimination. Microglia had a more extensive and diverse response to IFN-alpha with twice the number of genes upregulated (282 vs. 141 genes) when compared with astrocytes. Validation of the findings in vivo further suggested that astrocytes and microglia play important but distinct roles in the development of IFN-alpha-driven cerebral interferonopathies.
Project description:To investigate astrocyte-microglia interactions in vivo, we took advantage of the recombinant rabies virus (RV). We used glycoprotein G-deficient RV expressing the fluorescent protein mCherry and pseudotyped with glycoprotein EnvA, in combination with GFAP-Cre RABVgp4/TVA transgenic mice that express TVA protein and glycoprotein G in astrocytes under the control of the Gfap promoter. Following injection into GfapRABVgp4/TVA mice, RV initially infects TVA expressing astrocytes, and following its replication RV infect cells in direct contact with astrocytes. We then sorted mCherry+ or mCherry- microglia on EAE mice and prove that microglia that had interacted with astrocytes had a more proinflammatory transcriptional profile.
Project description:After central nervous system injury, a rapid neuroinflammatory response is induced. This response can be both beneficial and detrimental to neuronal survival in the first few days and increase the risk for neurodegeneration if it persists. Semaphorin4B (Sema4B), a transmembrane protein primarily expressed by cortical astrocytes, has been shown to play a role in neuronal cell death following injury. Our study shows that neuroinflammation is attenuated in Sema4B knockout mice and microglia/macrophage activation is reduced after cortical stab wound injury. In vitro, recombinant Sema4B enhances the activation of microglia following injury, suggesting astrocytic Sema4B functions as a ligand. Moreover, injury-induced activation of microglia is attenuated in the presence of Sema4B knockout astrocytes compared to heterozygous astrocytes. In vitro, experiments indicate Plexin-B2 is the Sema4B receptor on microglia. Consistent with this, microglia-specific Plexin-B2 knockout mice, similar to Sema4B knockout mice, also show a reduction in microglial activation after cortical injury. Finally, in Sema4B/Plexin-B2 double heterozygous mice, microglial activation is also reduced after injury, thus supporting the idea that both Sema4B and Plexin-B2 are part of the same signaling pathway. Taken together, we propose a model in which following injury, astrocytic Sema4B enhances the pro-inflammatory response of microglia/macrophages via Plexin-B2, leading to increased neuroinflammation.
Project description:To determine the role of RIPK1 kinase signaling in microglia and astrocytes during EAE (mouse model of MS), we extracted spinal cords of naive, EAE-vehicle and EAE mice treated with RIPK1 kinase inhibitor (GSK’547) for transcript profiling using RNAseq. We identify various genes that are differentially expressed in EAE disease compared to naive mice, and a subset of these are modulated in a RIPK1 kinase-dependent manner in both astrocytes and microglia. The top RIPK1 kinase-dependent gene pathways include oxidative phosphorylation and mitochondrial dysfunction in microglia and EIF2 signaling and cholesterol biosynthesis in astrocytes. This study demonstractes critical and distinct roles for RIPK1 kinase signaling in both microglia and astrocytes during EAE
Project description:Microglia, brain resident macrophages, require instruction from the central nervous system microenvironment to maintain their identity, morphology, and to regulate inflammatory responses. We investigated the heterogeneity of response of microglia to the presence of neurons and astrocytes by performing single-cell sequencing of microglia in both monoculture, and in coculture with neurons and astrocytes.