Glial remodeling enhances short-term memory performance in Wistar rats.

ABSTRACT:

Background

Microglia play a key role in neuronal circuit and synaptic maturation in the developing brain. In the healthy adult, however, their role is less clear: microglial hyperactivation in adults can be detrimental to memory due to excessive synaptic pruning, yet learning and memory can also be impaired in the absence of these cells. In this study, we therefore aimed to determine how microglia contribute to short-term memory in healthy adults.

Methods

To this end, we developed a Cx3cr1-Dtr transgenic Wistar rat with a diphtheria toxin receptor (Dtr) gene inserted into the fractalkine receptor (Cx3cr1) promoter, expressed on microglia and monocytes. This model allows acute microglial and monocyte ablation upon application of diphtheria toxin, enabling us to directly asses

SUBMITTER: De Luca SN 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC7006153 | biostudies-literature | 2020 Feb

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature