Project description:We have examined the role of microglia-derived IL-6 by analyzing the transcriptome of the brain cortex following a cryolesion. We performed oligonucleotide array analysis using the right fronto-parietal cortex of microglia-derived Il6 deficient (Il6ΔMic) and floxed (Il6lox/lox) mice , under control and cryolesion conditions.
Project description:CX3CR1, one of the highest expressed genes in microglia in mice and humans, is implicated in numerous microglial functions. However, the molecular mechanisms underlying Cx3cr1 signaling are not well understood. Here, we analyzed transcriptomes of Cx3cr1-deficient microglia under varying conditions by RNA-Seq. In 2 mos mice, Cx3cr1 deletion resulted in the downregulation of a subset of immune-related genes, without substantial epigenetic changes in markers of active chromatin. Surprisingly, Cx3cr1-deficient microglia from young mice exhibited a transcriptome consistent with that of aged Cx3cr1-sufficient animals, suggesting a premature aging transcriptomic signature. Immunohistochemical analysis of microglia in young and aged mice revealed that loss of Cx3cr1 modulates microglial morphology in a compatible fashion. Our results suggest that CX3CR1 may regulate microglial function in part by modulating the expression levels of a subset of inflammatory genes during chronological aging, making Cx3cr1-deficient mice useful for studying aged microglia.
Project description:Transcriptomic profiling of mouse brain in old progranulin deficient mice with a complete loss of progranulin (PGRN KO), with restoration of neuronal progranulin (NesGrnOE-KOBG), in progranulin-EGFL7 double deficient mice (EGFL7-PGRNdko) and floxed control mice (Grnflfl) Genetic progranulin deficiency in humans causes Frontotemporal Dementia (FTD). Progranulin knockout mice (PGRNko) are a model for the disease albeit cognitive impairment in mice is subtle. The predominant FTD-phenotype in mice are hyperactivity, sugar craving, compulsiveness, skin lesions owing to exessive grooming and general health issues in old mice such as anal prolaps. Progranulin in primarily expressed in neurons and in myeloid derived immune cells including microglia. Progranulin deficient microglia are neuron-aggressive and are believed to contribute to excessive synaptic pruning. It is not known if progranulin that is normally neurotrophic and keeps microglia in a neuron-supportive phenotype has to come from within microglia or is a progranulin-signal from neurons to microglia. To dissect out the differential contribution we generated mice which express progranulin in neurons via Nestin-driven restoration of progranulin expression in a progranulin knockout background. In addition we assessed additional deletion of EGFL7, which behaves as progranulin competitor for binding/activation of NOTCH receptors. Hence, this study describes and compared the transcriptome of old mice in four mouse lines: full progranulin knockout (PGRNko), neuronal resoration of PGRN on a knockout background (NesGrnOE-koBG), progranulin & EGFL7 double deletion (EGFL7-PGRNdko) and floxed progranulin control mice (Grn flfl). Mice were 60-70 weeks old at the the time of tissue collection. Total RNA was extracted with Qiagen RNAeasy micro-kits and sequencing librariers were prepared by Novogene according to standard protocols for mRNA sequencing. RNA seq was done on Illumina NovaSeq 6000. The sequence alignment was done with standard proceduers including quality filtering and adapter trimming with Qiagen's CLC Genomic Workbench. The TMM (trimmed mean od M-values) algorithm was used for read normalization. Total reads, RPKM and TPM are also provided in "Processed data" files.
Project description:Microglia, the innate immune cells of the central nervous system, perform critical inflammatory and non-inflammatory functions to maintain homeostasis and normal neural function. However in Alzheimer’s disease (AD), these beneficial functions become progressively impaired, contributing to synapse and neuron loss and cognitive impairment. The inflammatory cyclooxygenase-PGE2 pathway, including the PGE2 receptor EP2, is implicated in AD development, both in human epidemiology and in transgenic models of AD. To test the transcriptional responses of EP2-deficient microglia to Aβ in vivo, we used mice in which the EP2 receptor is conditionally deleted in microglia using the CD11b-Cre transgene and floxed alleles of the EP2 gene. By injecting these mice with Aβ ICV and isolating microglia from the brains, we have been able to establish the transcriptional response of microglia to Aβ in vivo and test how EP2 deletion in microglia affects this response. 8 month-old C57BL/6 mice, of the genotype CD11b-Cre; EP2+/+ or CD11b-Cre; EP2lox/lox, were injected I.C.V. with either Aβ or vehicle. 48 hours after injection, the mice were sacrificed and transcardially perfused with cold heparinized 0.9% NaCl. Brains were then removed from the mice and pooled, two brains of the same genotype per sample, to ensure adequate cell and RNA yield. The brains were then enzymatically dissociated for microglia isolation using the Neural Tissue Dissociation Kit (P), MACS Separation Columns (LS), and magnetic CD11b Microbeads from Miltenyi Biotec according to the manufacturer's protocol. Immediately after isolating the microglia, RNA was extracted from the cells for microarray analysis.
Project description:CX3CR1, one of the highest expressed genes in microglia in mice and humans, is implicated in numerous microglial functions. However, the molecular mechanisms underlying Cx3cr1 signaling are not well understood. Here, we analyzed transcriptomes of Cx3cr1-deficient microglia under varying conditions by RNA sequencing (RNA-Seq). In 2 mos mice, Cx3cr1 deletion resulted in the downregulation of a subset of immune-related genes, without substantial epigenetic changes in markers of active chromatin. Surprisingly, Cx3cr1-deficient microglia from young mice exhibited a transcriptome consistent with that of aged Cx3cr1-sufficient animals, suggesting a premature aging transcriptomic signature.