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Analysis of Signaling Mechanisms Regulating Microglial Process Movement

Kyrargyri, V; Attwell, D; Jolivet, RB; Madry, C; (2019) Analysis of Signaling Mechanisms Regulating Microglial Process Movement. Methods in Molecular Biology , 2034 pp. 191-205. 10.1007/978-1-4939-9658-2_14. Green open access

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Abstract

Microglia, the brain’s innate immune cells, are extremely motile cells, continuously surveying the CNS to serve homeostatic functions and to respond to pathological events. In the healthy brain, microglia exhibit a small cell body with long, branched and highly motile processes, which constantly extend and retract, effectively ‘patrolling’ the brain parenchyma. Over the last decade, methodological advances in microscopy and the availability of genetically encoded reporter mice have allowed us to probe microglial physiology in situ. Beyond their classical immunological roles, unexpected functions of microglia have been revealed, both in the developing and the adult brain: microglia regulate the generation of newborn neurons, control the formation and elimination of synapses, and modulate neuronal activity. Many of these newly ascribed functions depend directly on microglial process movement. Thus, elucidating the mechanisms underlying microglial motility is of great importance to understand their role in brain physiology and pathophysiology. Two-photon imaging of fluorescently labelled microglia, either in vivo or ex vivo in acute brain slices, has emerged as an indispensable tool for investigating microglial movements and their functional consequences. This chapter aims to provide a detailed description of the experimental data acquisition and analysis needed to address these questions, with a special focus on key dynamic and morphological metrics such as surveillance, directed motility and ramification.

Type: Article
Title: Analysis of Signaling Mechanisms Regulating Microglial Process Movement
Location: United States
Open access status: An open access version is available from UCL Discovery
DOI: 10.1007/978-1-4939-9658-2_14
Publisher version: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4939-9658-2_14
Language: English
Additional information: This version is the author accepted manuscript. For information on re-use, please refer to the publisher’s terms and conditions.
Keywords: Microglia, surveillance, ramification, directed motility, two-photon imaging, image processing.
UCL classification: UCL
UCL > Provost and Vice Provost Offices > School of Life and Medical Sciences
UCL > Provost and Vice Provost Offices > School of Life and Medical Sciences > Faculty of Life Sciences
UCL > Provost and Vice Provost Offices > School of Life and Medical Sciences > Faculty of Life Sciences > Div of Biosciences
UCL > Provost and Vice Provost Offices > School of Life and Medical Sciences > Faculty of Life Sciences > Div of Biosciences > Neuro, Physiology and Pharmacology
URI: https://discovery.ucl.ac.uk/id/eprint/10082687
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