Transcription-related element gene expression pattern differs between microglia and macrophages during inflammation

Microglia and macrophages play an important role in the innate and adaptive immune systems. Although the resident location of these cells is different, their functions during the polarization response due to various stimuli are very similar. The present study aimed to analyze differences in microglial and macrophage gene expression during inflammation.

Mouse microglial BV-2 cells were exposed to LPS (10 ng/ml). The levels of gene expression were measured using real-time RT-PCR and whole transcriptome shotgun sequencing.

The level of Jmjd3 gene expression in activated microglia showed a similar pattern to that of macrophages. In both cell types, genes associated with the inflammation response were generally increased whereas genes associated with metabolic and biosynthetic processes were decreased. However, the expression of transcription-related elements other than genes encoding histone modification enzymes showed a significantly different pattern between microglia and macrophages.

Although the function and the gene expression levels of histone modification enzymes showed a similar pattern in microglia and macrophages during inflammation, the expression of transcription-related elements in both cell types showed a completely different pattern.