CNC-Center for Neuroscience and Cell Biology, University of Coimbra, Coimbra, Portugal.
Institute of Interdisciplinary Research (IIIUC), University of Coimbra, Coimbra, Portugal.
J Neurochem. 2022 Oct;163(2):74-93. doi: 10.1111/jnc.15689. Epub 2022 Sep 5.
Microglia are tissue-resident macrophages responsible for the surveillance, neuronal support, and immune defense of the brain parenchyma. Recently, the role played by microglia in the formation and function of neuronal circuits has garnered substantial attention. During development, microglia have been shown to engulf neuronal precursors and participate in pruning mechanisms while, in the mature brain, they influence synaptic signaling, provide trophic support and shape synaptic plasticity. Recently, studies have unveiled different microglial characteristics associated with specific brain regions. This emerging view suggests that the maturation and function of distinct neuronal circuits may be potentially associated with the molecular identity microglia adopts across the brain. Here, we review and summarize the known role of these cells in the thalamus, hippocampus, cortex, and cerebellum. We focus on in vivo studies to highlight the characteristics of microglia that may be important in the remodeling of these neuronal circuits and in relation to neurodevelopmental and neuropsychiatric disorders.
小胶质细胞是组织驻留的巨噬细胞，负责脑实质的监视、神经元支持和免疫防御。最近，小胶质细胞在神经元回路的形成和功能中的作用引起了广泛关注。在发育过程中，小胶质细胞已被证明吞噬神经元前体并参与修剪机制，而在成熟的大脑中，它们影响突触信号传递、提供营养支持并塑造突触可塑性。最近的研究揭示了与特定脑区相关的不同小胶质细胞特征。这种新出现的观点表明，不同神经元回路的成熟和功能可能与小胶质细胞在整个大脑中采用的分子特征有关。在这里，我们回顾和总结了这些细胞在丘脑、海马体、皮层和小脑中的已知作用。我们重点关注体内研究，以强调小胶质细胞的特征在这些神经元回路的重塑中可能很重要，并与神经发育和神经精神疾病有关。
