Microglial mechanisms of viable retinal ganglion cell elimination.

ABSTRACT: Microglia can selectively phagocytose live neurons during normal development and also in response to stress, injury or disease by recognizing phagocytic cues to target cells for elimination. In the developing retina at embryonic stages we previously found that microglia refine retinal ganglion cell (RGC) numbers by targeting non-apoptotic newborn RGCs for phagocytosis, utilizing complement receptor 3 (CR3) to recognize and eliminate RGCs. Here, we investigate additional phagocytic mechanisms and cues that microglia utilize to clear a subset of viable RGCs. Our findings indicate that both Mer tyrosine kinase (Mertk) and CR3 are required for clearance of a subpopulation of embryonic RGCs. In Mertk/CR3 double knockouts, we show that C1q-tagged RGCs accumulate and excess RGCs persist indicatin

SUBMITTER: Lopez NN 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC12715010 | biostudies-literature | 2025

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature