Microglial Cx3cr1 knockout reduces prion disease incubation time in mice.

ABSTRACT:

Background

Microglia are resident mononuclear phagocytes of the brain that become activated in response to insults including neurodegenerative diseases such as Alzheimer's disease, Parkinson's disease and prion disease. In the central nervous system the chemokine Cx3cl1 (Fractalkine) is expressed by neurons and its exclusive receptor Cx3cr1 is expressed solely on microglia. Cx3cl1/Cx3cr1 signalling is thought to maintain microglia in their resting state and disrupting this equilibrium may allow microglia to become activated. In prion disease, microglial proliferation has been suggested to contribute to overall disease progression, however, in different mouse models of neurodegeneration, loss of Cx3cr1 has been shown to either worsen or improve the phenotype depending on the paradig

SUBMITTER: Grizenkova J 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC3998043 | biostudies-literature | 2014 Mar

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature