Repopulation of a microglia-depleted central nervous system : molecular characterization during homeostasis and disease

Abstract

Microglia are predominant tissue resident macrophages within the central nervous system (CNS), and contribute to both CNS development and homeostasis. During disease conditions microglia undergo transcriptional re-programming and their dysfunction is implicated in a multitude of disorders, such as multiple sclerosis (MS). How microglia could be therapeutically targeted is a current research focus. Recent experimental microglial depletion methods using conditional genetic targeting and pharmacological therapies have broadened our perspective of these multi-tasking microglia. Newly repopulated microglia following experimental microglial ablation hold great promise for reducing neuroinflammation and treating a variety of neurological disorders.

In Study 1 our results indicated that microglia could be ablated (approximately 95%) by systemic use of tamoxifen in Cx3cr1CreER/+Rosa26DTA/+ mice. Microglial repopulation ensued through both the proliferation of surviving microglia in the CNS, and from the infiltration of Ly6Chi monocytes. Under this condition infiltrating monocytes could be shaped into microglia-like cells by the CNS microenvironment. Furthermore, isolated newly repopulated resident microglia and infiltrating microglia-like cells following experimental depletion exhibited differential functionality in vitro, such as phagocytic capacity and cytokine production.

In Study 2 we used the microglial depletion and repopulation model mentioned above and demonstrated that the presence of infiltrating microglia-like cells following ablation could exacerbate experimental autoimmune encephalomyelitis (EAE) symptoms in Cx3cr1CreER/+Rosa26DTA/+ female mice. This was not evident in male mice, indicating a potential sex effect. Under this condition there was a higher expression of major histocompatibility complex class II and a greater secretion of proinflammatory cytokines during the acute period in the female mice.

In Study 3 we discovered a novel subpopulation of microglia that escape the genetic modification of Cx3cr1 in Cx3cr1CreER-EYFP/+Rosa26DTA/+ mice. Following microglial depletion using tamoxifen, newly repopulated Cx3cr1highEYFP– microglia had an advantage over Cx3cr1CreER-EYFP/+ and Cx3cr1lowEYFP+ microglia. We also found that microglial repopulation was tightly regulated by the CX3CL1-CX3CR1 signaling. The numbers of repopulated CNS-resident microglia were significantly decreased, while the numbers of infiltrating microglia-like cells were increased during repopulation in mice devoid of Cx3cr1.

In Study 4 we demonstrated that experimentally removing microglia using both Cx3cr1CreER/+Rosa26DTA/+ mice and PLX3397 treatment had crucial effects on circulating monocytes and splenic macrophages, a finding that had previously received little attention. We therefore proposed that clinical translation of preclinical studies using microglial depletion should take peripheral effects into consideration.