Novel microglial transcriptional signatures promote social and cognitive deficits following repeated social defeat.

ABSTRACT: Chronic stress is associated with anxiety and cognitive impairment. Repeated social defeat (RSD) in mice induces anxiety-like behavior driven by microglia and the recruitment of inflammatory monocytes to the brain. Nonetheless, it is unclear how microglia communicate with other cells to modulate the physiological and behavioral responses to stress. Using single-cell (sc)RNAseq, we identify novel, to the best of our knowledge, stress-associated microglia in the hippocampus defined by RNA profiles of cytokine/chemokine signaling, cellular stress, and phagocytosis. Microglia depletion with a CSF1R antagonist (PLX5622) attenuates the stress-associated profile of leukocytes, endothelia, and astrocytes. Furthermore, RSD-induced social withdrawal and cognitive impairment are microglia-dependent,

SUBMITTER: Goodman EJ 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC11438916 | biostudies-literature | 2024 Sep

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature