The role of microglia membrane potential in chemotaxis.

ABSTRACT: Microglia react to danger signals by rapid and targeted extension of cellular processes towards the source of the signal. This positive chemotactic response is accompanied by a hyperpolarization of the microglia membrane. Here, we show that optogenetic depolarization of microglia has little effect on baseline motility, but significantly slows down the chemotactic response. Reducing the extracellular Ca²⁺ concentration mimics the effect of optogenetic depolarization. As the membrane potential sets the driving force for Ca²⁺ entry, hyperpolarization is an integral part of rapid stimulus-response coupling in microglia. Compared to typical excitable cells such as neurons, the sign of the activating response is inverted in microglia, leading to inhibition by depolarizing c

SUBMITTER: Laprell L 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC7798195 | biostudies-literature | 2021 Jan

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature