Definition of a mouse microglial subset that regulates neuronal development and proinflammatory responses in the brain
Xianli Shen, Yiguo Qiu, Andrew Wight, Hye‐Jung Kim, Harvey Cantor
Abstract
Significance CD11c + microglia enriched for osteopontin (OPN) expression appear at distinct stages of brain development, aging, and several neurodegenerative disorders. Whether coexpression of CD11c and OPN results from microglial activation or represents a part of a subset-specific genetic program is unknown. We find that this CD11c + microglial subset is formed before birth upon uptake of apoptotic neurons. Our analysis also suggests that it represents a stable subset that requires OPN to mediate engulfment of synaptic proteins, proliferate, and develop a proinflammatory phenotype. Definition of OPN-producing CD11c + microglia as a specialized microglial subset provides insight into the contribution of microglial differentiation to brain development and function in health and disease.