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Single Cell Durotaxis Assay for Assessing Mechanical Control of Cellular Movement and Related Signaling Events
Published on: August 27, 2019
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Analysis of Signaling Mechanisms Regulating Microglial Process Movement
Vasiliki Kyrargyri1, David Attwell2, Renaud Blaise Jolivet3,4
1Department of Immunology, Laboratory of Molecular Genetics, Hellenic Pasteur Institute, Athens, Greece.
Methods in Molecular Biology (Clifton, N.J.)
|August 9, 2019
Summary
Microglia, the brain's immune cells, are highly motile, constantly surveying the central nervous system. Understanding microglial motility is key to their roles in brain health and disease.
Area of Science:
- Neuroscience
- Immunology
- Cell Biology
Background:
- Microglia are innate immune cells in the central nervous system (CNS).
- They possess highly motile processes for surveying the brain parenchyma.
- Recent advances reveal novel functions beyond immunity, including neuronal development and synaptic regulation.
Purpose of the Study:
- To elucidate the mechanisms underlying microglial motility.
- To understand the functional consequences of microglial movement in brain physiology and pathophysiology.
- To detail experimental methods for analyzing microglial dynamics.
Main Methods:
- Utilizing two-photon imaging in vivo and ex vivo in acute brain slices.
- Employing fluorescently labeled microglia in genetically encoded reporter mice.
- Focusing on dynamic and morphological metrics like surveillance, directed motility, and ramification.
Main Results:
- Methodological advances enable in situ probing of microglial physiology.
- Microglial motility is crucial for newly ascribed functions in development and adulthood.
- Two-photon imaging is indispensable for studying microglial movements and their impact.
Conclusions:
- Elucidating microglial motility mechanisms is vital for understanding brain function and disease.
- Detailed analysis of microglial dynamics provides insights into their multifaceted roles.
- This work provides a framework for investigating microglial behavior and its functional relevance.
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