Title
A microglia-cytokine axis to modulate synaptic connectivity and function
UMMS Affiliation
Department of Neurobiology; Schafer Lab; Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences, MD/PhD Program
Publication Date
2017-12-01
Document Type
Article
Disciplines
Neuroscience and Neurobiology
Abstract
Microglia have recently been recognized as key regulators of synapse development, function, and plasticity. Critical to progressing the field is the identification of molecular underpinnings necessary for microglia to carry out these important functions within neural circuits. Here, we focus a review specifically on roles for microglial cytokine signaling within developing and mature neural circuits. We review exciting new studies demonstrating essential roles for microglial cytokine signaling in axon outgrowth, synaptogenesis and synapse maturation during development, as well as synaptic transmission and plasticity in adulthood. Together, these studies identify microglia and cytokines as critical modulators of neural circuits within the healthy brain, with implications for a broad range of neurological disorders with disruptions in synaptic structure and function.
DOI of Published Version
10.1016/j.conb.2017.10.002
Source
Curr Opin Neurobiol. 2017 Dec;47:138-145. doi: 10.1016/j.conb.2017.10.002. Epub 2017 Nov 6. Link to article on publisher's site
Journal/Book/Conference Title
Current opinion in neurobiology
Related Resources
PubMed ID
29096242
Repository Citation
Werneburg, Sebastian; Feinberg, Philip A.; Johnson, Kasey M.; and Schafer, Dorothy P., "A microglia-cytokine axis to modulate synaptic connectivity and function" (2017). Neurobiology Publications and Presentations. 216.
https://escholarship.umassmed.edu/neurobiology_pp/216
Comments
Philip Feinberg is a student in the MD/PhD Program in the Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences at UMass Medical School.