Microglia Interact with Neurons by Forming Somatic Junctions
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RESEARCH HIGHLIGHT
Microglia Interact with Neurons by Forming Somatic Junctions Yongjie Wang1,2 • Zhihui Huang1,2,3
Received: 24 January 2020 / Accepted: 6 March 2020 Ó Shanghai Institutes for Biological Sciences, CAS 2020
Microglia are the main immune cells of the central nervous system that maintain normal neuronal functions. Microglial cells are also linked with major diseases in humans including neurodegenerative disorders such as Alzheimer’s disease, stroke, epilepsy, and psychiatric diseases such as schizophrenia [1]. Microglia perform surveillance of the brain microenvironment through their motile processes. Currently, there has been increased attention on the interaction between microglial processes and synaptic elements. At least part of the dynamic motility of resting microglial processes in vivo is directed toward neuronal synapses. Resting microglial processes have brief and direct contact with synapses lasting *5 min and this occurs at a frequency of about once per hour in a neuronal activity-dependent manner. Under the conditions of cerebral ischemia, the duration of these microglia-synapse contacts is significantly prolonged to about an hour, and this is followed by the disappearance of the presynaptic bouton, suggesting that microglia contribute to the subsequent increased turnover of synaptic connections [2]. However, the molecular mechanisms of microglia-neuron communication are not well understood. & Zhihui Huang [email protected] 1
Key Laboratory of Elemene Anti-Cancer Medicine of Zhejiang Province and Holistic Integrative Pharmacy Institutes, Hangzhou Normal University, Hangzhou 311121, China
2
Engineering Laboratory of Development and Application of Traditional Chinese Medicine from Zhejiang Province and Holistic Integrative Pharmacy Institutes, Hangzhou Normal University, Hangzhou 311121, China
3
Department of Neurosurgery, The Affiliated Hospital of Hangzhou Normal University, Hangzhou 310015, China
Microglial cells are involved in the formation and maintenance of synapses in the brain [3] during development and synaptic plasticity. Researchers have demonstrated that microglial processes interact with axonal terminals and dendritic spines in the visual cortex in a neuronal activity-dependent manner, and for a long time, these were believed to be the main forms of interaction between microglia and neurons [2, 4, 5]. Moreover, the interactions between microglia and synaptic elements, including both axonal boutons and dendritic spines, have also received increased attention. Neuronal cell bodies are relatively stable in most conditions, while the synaptic structures are highly dynamic. The microglial processes actively monitor the surrounding neural parenchyma and respond promptly to brain injury [6]. The interactions between microglia and synapses do not elucidate how microglia monitor and affect neuronal activity spatiotemporally. Therefore, the mechanisms of effective communication between microglia and neuronal somata require investigation. R
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