A Combination of Ontogeny and CNS Environment Establishes Microglial Identity.

ABSTRACT: Microglia, the brain's resident macrophages, are dynamic CNS custodians with surprising origins in the extra-embryonic yolk sac. The consequences of their distinct ontogeny are unknown but critical to understanding and treating brain diseases. We created a brain macrophage transplantation system to disentangle how environment and ontogeny specify microglial identity. We find that donor cells extensively engraft in the CNS of microglia-deficient mice, and even after exposure to a cell culture environment, microglia fully regain their identity when returned to the CNS. Though transplanted macrophages from multiple tissues can express microglial genes in the brain, only those of yolk-sac origin fully attain microglial identity. Transplanted macrophages of inappropriate origin, including prima

SUBMITTER: Bennett FC 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC6023731 | biostudies-literature | 2018 Jun

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature