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Updated: Apr 30, 2026
Isolation of Cortical Microglia with Preserved Immunophenotype and Functionality From Murine Neonates
Published on: January 30, 2014
Comparative aspects of microglia reaction in white and gray matter
B Cătălin1, Smaranda Mitran2, Carmen Albu3
1Departament of Physiology, University of Medicine and Pharmacy from Craiova, Romania ; Department of Molecular Physiology, University of Saarland, Homburg, Germany.
Objectives:
Microglia are considered as the primary immune effector cells in the brain and have a critical role in all brain lesions. We wanted to find out if there is any difference in the way that white and gray matter microglia react to the same type of lesion.
Material And Method:
We used 14-16 weeks old single transgenic CX3CR1-EGFP mice, whereon microglia were labeled by expression of the green fluorescent protein EGFP and the L1-L2 dorsal spinal columns were exposed. After 10 min of continuous base line image acquisition, we made a micro-lesion by focusing and raising the power of the laser and, than, we monitored it for an additional hour. Laser-lesion and image recording were also made in the right somato-sensory cortex. We quantified microglial response and compared white vs. grey matter.
Results:
5-10 min after the lesion, microglia already showed signs of polarization by extending their processes both in white and gray matter. Processes were sent by the microglial bodies situated at a distance of 50 to 100 µm, depending on the lesion size. Microglial processes did not display a preferred target site from the lesion; in contrast, they formed a uniform "shielding" ring around the lesion.
Conclusions:
Microglia showed targeted responses to acute injuries in grey and white matter also; no major differences were observed besides the speed of the process, due probably to particular cortex and spine architecture.
Insights
Microglia in both white and gray matter exhibit similar targeted responses to brain lesions, forming a protective ring around the injury site. Minor speed differences in microglial reaction are attributed to varying tissue architecture.
Area of Science:
- Neuroscience
- Immunology
- Cell Biology
Background:
- Microglia are the brain's primary immune cells, crucial for responding to injuries.
- Understanding their differential behavior in white versus gray matter is essential for neurobiology.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate if microglia in white matter and gray matter exhibit distinct responses to identical lesions.
- To compare the dynamics and morphology of microglial reactions in different brain tissue types.
Main Methods:
- Utilized CX3CR1-EGFP transgenic mice where microglia are fluorescently labeled.
- Induced micro-lesions in the dorsal spinal columns (white matter) and somatosensory cortex (gray matter) using a laser.
- Monitored and quantified microglial responses in real-time for an hour post-lesion.
Main Results:
- Microglia in both white and gray matter rapidly polarized within 5-10 minutes after lesion induction.
- Microglial processes extended towards the lesion site, forming a uniform ring, irrespective of tissue type.
- No significant difference in the targeting strategy was observed, though reaction speed varied.
Conclusions:
- Microglia demonstrate consistent, targeted responses to acute injuries in both white and gray matter.
- Observed variations in response speed are likely due to differences in the structural architecture of the cortex and spinal cord.
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