CHD8 adulthood microglial knockdown in C57BL6 mice induces behavioral, morphological, and transcriptional changes in a sex-dependent manner.

ABSTRACT: Mutations in CHD8 (chromodomain-helicase-DNA binding protein 8) are highly associated with autism spectrum disorders. It has been well established that CHD8 has a prominent role in the development of neurons. However, there is little knowledge of its specific roles in microglia, and its possible roles in cellular functions after development, i.e. adulthood. In addition, while microglial dysfunction has been characterized in autism, the roles of autism-associated genes in microglial function have not been well characterized. Using conditional knockdown technology in C57BL6 mice models, we determined that adulthood deletion of Chd8 in microglia induces robust changes in behavior, including anxiety, social deficits, and depression-like behavior, in association with changes in microglial activ

SUBMITTER: Weissberg O 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC12271384 | biostudies-literature | 2025 Jul

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature