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Updated: Sep 23, 2025
Primary Microglia Isolation from Mixed Glial Cell Cultures of Neonatal Rat Brain Tissue
Published on: August 15, 2012
Microglial GPR56 is the molecular target of maternal immune activation-induced parvalbumin-positive interneuron
Diankun Yu1,2, Tao Li1,2, Jean-Christophe Delpech3
1Eli and Edythe Broad Center of Regeneration Medicine and Stem Cell Research, University of California at San Francisco, San Francisco, CA 94143, USA.
Parvalbumin-positive (PV+) interneurons play a critical role in maintaining circuit rhythm in the brain, and their reduction is implicated in autism spectrum disorders. Animal studies demonstrate that maternal immune activation (MIA) leads to reduced PV+ interneurons in the somatosensory cortex and autism-like behaviors. However, the underlying molecular mechanisms remain largely unknown. Here, we show that MIA down-regulates microglial Gpr56 expression in fetal brains in an interleukin-17a-dependent manner and that conditional deletion of microglial Gpr56 [Gpr56 conditional knockout (cKO)] mimics MIA-induced PV+ interneuron defects and autism-like behaviors in offspring. We further demonstrate that elevated microglial tumor necrosis factor-α expression is the underlying mechanism by which MIA and Gpr56 cKO impair interneuron generation. Genetically restoring Gpr56 expression in microglia ameliorates PV+ interneuron deficits and autism-like behaviors in MIA offspring. Together, our study demonstrates that microglial GPR56 plays an important role in PV+ interneuron development and serves as a salient target of MIA-induced neurodevelopmental disorders.
Parvalbumin-positive (PV+) interneurons play a critical role in maintaining circuit rhythm in the brain, and their reduction is implicated in autism spectrum disorders. Animal studies demonstrate that maternal immune activation (MIA) leads to reduced PV+ interneurons in the somatosensory cortex and autism-like behaviors. However, the underlying molecular mechanisms remain largely unknown. Here, we show that MIA down-regulates microglial Gpr56 expression in fetal brains in an interleukin-17a-dependent manner and that conditional deletion of microglial Gpr56 [Gpr56 conditional knockout (cKO)] mimics MIA-induced PV+ interneuron defects and autism-like behaviors in offspring. We further demonstrate that elevated microglial tumor necrosis factor-α expression is the underlying mechanism by which MIA and Gpr56 cKO impair interneuron generation. Genetically restoring Gpr56 expression in microglia ameliorates PV+ interneuron deficits and autism-like behaviors in MIA offspring. Together, our study demonstrates that microglial GPR56 plays an important role in PV+ interneuron development and serves as a salient target of MIA-induced neurodevelopmental disorders.
