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Physiology of Microglia

Olga Garaschuk1, Alexei Verkhratsky2,3,4

  • 1Department of Neurophysiology, Institute of Physiology, Eberhard Karls University of Tübingen, Tübingen, Germany. olga.garaschuk@uni-tuebingen.de.

Methods in Molecular Biology (Clifton, N.J.)
|August 9, 2019
PubMed

Insights

Microglia, the central nervous system's immune cells, originate from fetal macrophages. Their unique physiology allows them to monitor the brain environment for pathogens and damage.

Area of Science:

  • Neuroscience
  • Immunology
  • Cell Biology

Background:

  • Microglial cells are the primary immune cells of the central nervous system (CNS).
  • They originate from fetal macrophages that migrate to the CNS during early development.
  • In their resting state, microglia exhibit a distinct morphology with a small cell body and highly ramified, motile processes.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To describe the developmental origin and physiological characteristics of microglial cells.
  • To highlight the adaptive changes that enable microglia to function within the unique CNS environment.

Main Methods:

  • Developmental origin traced from fetal macrophages.
  • Morphological characterization of resting/surveillant microglia.
  • Analysis of physiological properties, including cellular excitability and receptor expression.

Main Results:

  • Microglia are derived from embryonic macrophages that colonize the CNS.
  • Resting microglia display a surveillant phenotype with ramified, motile processes.
  • Their physiology includes excitability, low membrane conductance, and expression of receptors for PAMPs, DAMPs, neurotransmitters, and neurohormones.

Conclusions:

  • Microglial cells are uniquely adapted myeloid cells within the CNS.
  • Their specific physiological profile supports their role in immune surveillance and response within the brain.
Keywords:
ChemokinesCytokinesDamage-associated molecular patterns (DAMPs)Ion channelsMicrogliaNeurotransmitter receptorsPathogen-associated molecular patterns (PAMPs)Toll-like receptors (TLR)

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