Related Experiment Video
Updated: Feb 2, 2026
12:00
Isolation and Culture of Rodent Microglia to Promote a Dynamic Ramified Morphology in Serum-free Medium
Published on: March 9, 2018
17.0K
Microglia Enhance Synapse Activity to Promote Local Network Synchronization
Ryohei Akiyoshi1,2, Hiroaki Wake3,4,5, Daisuke Kato1,3
1Division of Homeostatic Development, National Institute for Physiological Sciences, National Institutes of Natural Sciences, Okazaki, Japan 444-8585.
Eneuro
|November 9, 2018
Summary
Resting microglia contact with synapses increases neuronal activity and synchronizes neural circuits. This immune cell-neuron interaction in the healthy brain impacts neural plasticity and learning.
Area of Science:
- Neuroscience
- Immunology
- Cell Biology
Background:
- Microglia are immune cells in the brain involved in development, disease, and surveying neural circuits.
- The functional impact of microglia-neuron contacts in a healthy brain remains unclear.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the functional consequences of direct microglia-synapse contacts in the mature, healthy brain.
- To understand how microglia-synapse interactions influence neuronal activity and circuit synchronization.
Main Methods:
- Utilized in vivo imaging techniques in awake mice to observe neurons and microglia.
- Monitored the activity of individual synapses and larger neuronal populations following microglia contact.
Main Results:
- Direct contact between microglia and synapses specifically increased the activity of the contacted synapse.
- Microglia activation (e.g., by LPS) abolished this activity-enhancing effect.
- In activated or ablated microglia conditions, neuronal activity synchronization decreased.
Conclusions:
- Physiological microglia-synapse interactions in the healthy brain enhance neuronal activity and synchronize local neuronal populations.
- These findings suggest a mechanism by which immune status influences neural circuit plasticity and cognitive functions like learning.
Related Concept Videos
02:47The Synapse
133.2K
Neurons communicate with one another by passing on their electrical signals to other neurons. A synapse is the location where two neurons meet to exchange signals. At the synapse, the neuron that sends the signal is called the presynaptic cell, while the neuron that receives the message is called the postsynaptic cell. Note that most neurons can be both presynaptic and postsynaptic, as they both transmit and receive information.
133.2K
02:40The Eukaryotic Promoter Region
18.8K
The eukaryotic promoter region is a segment of DNA located upstream of a gene. It contains an RNA polymerase binding site, a transcription start site, and several cis-regulatory sequences. The proximal promoter region is located in the vicinity of the gene and has cis-regulatory sequences and the core promoter. The core promoter is the binding site for RNA polymerase and is usually located between -35 and +35 nucleotides from the transcription start site. The distal promoter regions are...
18.8K
02:26Protein Networks
4.5K
An organism can have thousands of different proteins, and these proteins must cooperate to ensure the health of an organism. Proteins bind to other proteins and form complexes to carry out their functions. Many proteins interact with multiple other proteins creating a complex network of protein interactions.
These interactions can be represented through maps depicting protein-protein interaction networks, represented as nodes and edges. Nodes are circles that are representative of a protein,...
These interactions can be represented through maps depicting protein-protein interaction networks, represented as nodes and edges. Nodes are circles that are representative of a protein,...
4.5K
01:30Local Anesthetics: Chemistry and Structure-Activity Relationship
6.7K
Local anesthetics (LAs) are drugs that induce a temporary loss of sensation in a limited body area, preventing pain. Cocaine was the first local anesthetic discovered in the late 19th century. Cocaine is a benzoic acid ester obtained from the leaves of coca shrubs and was often used for its psychotropic effects. Cocaine was first isolated in 1860 by Albert Niemann. Sigmund Freud studied the physiological actions of cocaine. Carl Koller later introduced it into clinical practice in 1884 as a...
6.7K
01:28Electrical Synapses
10.7K
Electrical synapses found in all nervous systems play important and unique roles. In these synapses, the presynaptic and postsynaptic membranes are very close together (3.5 nm) and are actually physically connected by channel proteins forming gap junctions.
Gap junctions allow the current to pass directly from one cell to the next. In contrast, in the chemical synapse, the neurotransmitters carry the information through the synaptic cleft from one neuron to the next. They consist of two...
Gap junctions allow the current to pass directly from one cell to the next. In contrast, in the chemical synapse, the neurotransmitters carry the information through the synaptic cleft from one neuron to the next. They consist of two...
10.7K
01:26Chemical Synapses
11.6K
Chemical synapses are specialized sites between two neurons or between a neuron and a non-neuronal cell like a muscle, glandular or sensory cell.
Because chemical synapses depend on the release of neurotransmitter molecules from synaptic vesicles to pass on their signal, there is an approximately one millisecond delay between when the axon potential reaches the presynaptic terminal and when the neurotransmitter leads to opening of postsynaptic ion channels. Additionally, this signaling is...
Because chemical synapses depend on the release of neurotransmitter molecules from synaptic vesicles to pass on their signal, there is an approximately one millisecond delay between when the axon potential reaches the presynaptic terminal and when the neurotransmitter leads to opening of postsynaptic ion channels. Additionally, this signaling is...
11.6K