Tracking distinct microglia subpopulations with photoconvertible Dendra2 in vivo.

ABSTRACT:

Background

The ability to track individual immune cells within the central nervous system has revolutionized our understanding of the roles that microglia and monocytes play in synaptic maintenance, plasticity, and neurodegenerative diseases. However, distinguishing between similar subpopulations of mobile immune cells over time during episodes of neuronal death and tissue remodeling has proven to be challenging.

Methods

We recombineered a photoconvertible fluorescent protein (Dendra2; D2) downstream of the Cx3cr1 promoter commonly used to drive expression of fluorescent markers in microglia and monocytes. Like the popular Cx3cr1-GFP line (Cx3cr1^+/GFP), naïve microglia in Cx3cr1-Dendra2 mice (Cx3cr1^+/D2) fluoresce green and can be noninvasively imaged i

SUBMITTER: Miller EB 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC8520240 | biostudies-literature | 2021 Oct

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature