PUBLICATION

Type-I-interferon-responsive microglia shape cortical development and behavior

Authors
Escoubas, C.C., Dorman, L.C., Nguyen, P.T., Lagares-Linares, C., Nakajo, H., Anderson, S.R., Barron, J.J., Wade, S.D., Cuevas, B., Vainchtein, I.D., Silva, N.J., Guajardo, R., Xiao, Y., Lidsky, P.V., Wang, E.Y., Rivera, B.M., Taloma, S.E., Kim, D.K., Kaminskaya, E., Nakao-Inoue, H., Schwer, B., Arnold, T.D., Molofsky, A.B., Condello, C., Andino, R., Nowakowski, T.J., Molofsky, A.V.
ID
ZDB-PUB-240316-2
Date
2024
Source
Cell   187(8): 1936-1954.e24 (Journal)
Registered Authors
Molofsky, Anna Victoria
Keywords
cortical development, microglia, neuroimmunity, phagocytosis, somatosensory cortex, tactile hypersensitivity, type I interferon
MeSH Terms
  • Animals
  • Interferon Type I*/metabolism
  • Brain*/cytology
  • Brain*/growth & development
  • Zebrafish
  • Mice
  • Microglia*/metabolism
  • Neurons/metabolism
PubMed
38490196 Full text @ Cell
Abstract
Microglia are brain-resident macrophages that shape neural circuit development and are implicated in neurodevelopmental diseases. Multiple microglial transcriptional states have been defined, but their functional significance is unclear. Here, we identify a type I interferon (IFN-I)-responsive microglial state in the developing somatosensory cortex (postnatal day 5) that is actively engulfing whole neurons. This population expands during cortical remodeling induced by partial whisker deprivation. Global or microglial-specific loss of the IFN-I receptor resulted in microglia with phagolysosomal dysfunction and an accumulation of neurons with nuclear DNA damage. IFN-I gain of function increased neuronal engulfment by microglia in both mouse and zebrafish and restricted the accumulation of DNA-damaged neurons. Finally, IFN-I deficiency resulted in excess cortical excitatory neurons and tactile hypersensitivity. These data define a role for neuron-engulfing microglia during a critical window of brain development and reveal homeostatic functions of a canonical antiviral signaling pathway in the brain.
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