Microglia are essential for tissue contraction in wound closure after brain injury in zebrafish larvae.

ABSTRACT: Wound closure after brain injury is crucial for tissue restoration but remains poorly understood at the tissue level. We investigated this process using in vivo observations of larval zebrafish brain injury. Our findings show that wound closure occurs within the first 24 h through global tissue contraction, as evidenced by live-imaging and drug inhibition studies. Microglia accumulate at the wound site before closure, and computational models suggest that their physical traction could drive this process. Depleting microglia genetically or pharmacologically impairs tissue repair. At the cellular level, live imaging reveals centripetal deformation of astrocytic processes contacted by migrating microglia. Laser severing of these contacts causes rapid retraction of microglial processes and slo

SUBMITTER: El-Daher F 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC11487088 | biostudies-literature | 2025 Jan

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature