Related Experiment Video
Updated: Aug 6, 2026
Isolation of Cortical Microglia with Preserved Immunophenotype and Functionality From Murine Neonates
Published on: January 30, 2014
Microglia prune developing cortical blood vessels through PD-1 signaling
Mengtian Zhang1,2,3, Yanyan Wang1,2, Runhua Yang1,2
1State Key Laboratory of Organ Regeneration and Reconstruction, Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Science, Beijing, China.
Abstract:
During cerebrovascular development, an initial surplus of vessels is generated and subsequently refined through selective elimination to establish an efficient vascular network. Microglia are pivotal regulators of synaptic refinement and brain circuitry maturation, and despite their close interactions with cerebral vessels, whether and how they contribute to cerebrovascular pruning remains unclear. Here, to address this, we visualized and manipulated microglia-vessel interactions in the frontal cortex of postnatal day 11 mice. We found that microglia progressively approach cerebral vessels and subsequently mediate their pruning. Furthermore, we identify the PD-L1-PD-1 signaling axis as a regulator of microglia-mediated vascular pruning via microglial CD5L secretion. Altogether, our findings uncover a role for microglia in targeting redundant vasculature to facilitate vascular network formation during brain development.
Insights
Microglia, immune cells in the brain, actively prune excess cerebral vessels during development. This process is regulated by the PD-L1-PD-1 pathway and microglial CD5L secretion, crucial for forming efficient brain vascular networks.
Area of Science:
- Neuroscience
- Developmental Biology
- Immunology
Background:
- Cerebrovascular development involves vessel pruning to create efficient networks.
- Microglia are key in neural development but their role in vascular pruning is unknown.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the role of microglia in cerebrovascular pruning.
- To elucidate the mechanisms of microglia-vessel interactions during brain development.
Main Methods:
- Visualization and manipulation of microglia-vessel interactions in mouse frontal cortex.
- Analysis of the PD-L1-PD-1 signaling axis and microglial CD5L secretion.
Main Results:
- Microglia were observed to approach and prune cerebral vessels.
- The PD-L1-PD-1 signaling pathway was identified as a regulator of this pruning process.
- Microglial CD5L secretion was found to mediate vascular pruning.
Conclusions:
- Microglia play a significant role in targeting redundant vasculature for elimination.
- This microglia-driven vascular pruning is essential for efficient vascular network formation in the developing brain.
