Mouse Biology Unit, European Molecular Biology Laboratory (EMBL), Via Ramarini 32, 00015 Monterotondo, Italy.
Science. 2011 Sep 9;333(6048):1456-8. doi: 10.1126/science.1202529. Epub 2011 Jul 21.
Microglia are highly motile phagocytic cells that infiltrate and take up residence in the developing brain, where they are thought to provide a surveillance and scavenging function. However, although microglia have been shown to engulf and clear damaged cellular debris after brain insult, it remains less clear what role microglia play in the uninjured brain. Here, we show that microglia actively engulf synaptic material and play a major role in synaptic pruning during postnatal development in mice. These findings link microglia surveillance to synaptic maturation and suggest that deficits in microglia function may contribute to synaptic abnormalities seen in some neurodevelopmental disorders.
小胶质细胞是高度运动的吞噬细胞，它们渗透并定居在发育中的大脑中，在那里它们被认为提供监视和清除功能。然而，尽管已经表明小胶质细胞在脑损伤后吞噬和清除受损的细胞碎片，但小胶质细胞在未受伤的大脑中扮演什么角色仍然不太清楚。在这里，我们表明小胶质细胞主动吞噬突触物质，并在小鼠出生后的发育过程中发挥重要作用进行突触修剪。这些发现将小胶质细胞的监视与突触成熟联系起来，并表明小胶质细胞功能的缺陷可能导致一些神经发育障碍中出现的突触异常。
