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http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/07/
110721142410.htm
Gardening in the Brain: Cells Called Microglia Prune the Connections Between
Neurons, Shaping How the Brain Is Wired
Microglia (green) in a mouse brain. The nuclei of all cells in the brain are
labelled blue. (Credit: EMBL/R. Paolicelli)
ScienceDaily (July 22, 2011) Gardeners know that some trees require regular
pruning: some of their branches have to be cut so that others can grow
stronger. The same is true of the developing brain: cells called microglia
prune the connections between neurons, shaping how the brain is wired,
scientists at the European Molecular Biology Laboratory (EMBL) in Monterotondo,
Italy, discovered. Published online in Science, the findings could one day help
understand neurodevelopmental disorders like autism.
"We're very excited, because our data shows microglia are critical to get the
connectivity right in the brain," says Cornelius Gross, who led the work: "they
'eat up' synapses to make space for the most effective contacts between neurons
to grow strong."
Microglia are related to the white blood cells that engulf pathogens and
cellular debris, and scientists knew already that microglia perform that same
clean-up task when the brain is injured, 'swallowing up' dead and dying
neurons. Looking at the developing mouse brain under the microscope, Gross and
colleagues found proteins from synapses -- the connections between neurons --
inside microglia, indicating that microglia are able to engulf synapses too.
To probe further, the scientists introduced a mutation that reduced the number
of microglia in the developing mouse brain.
"What we saw was similar to what others have seen in at least some cases of
autism in humans: many more connections between neurons," Gross says. "So we
should be aware that changes in how microglia work might be a major factor in
neurodevelopmental disorders that have altered brain wiring."
The microglia-limiting mutation the EMBL scientists used has only temporary
effects, so eventually the number of microglia increases and the mouse brain
establishes the right connections. However, this happens later in development
than it normally would, and Gross and colleagues would now like to find out if
that delay has long-term consequences. Does it affect the behaviour of the mice
behaviour, for example? At the same time, Gross and colleagues plan to
investigate what microglia do in the healthy adult brain, where their role is
essentially unknown.
This work was carried out in collaboration with the groups of Davide Ragozzino
at the University of Rome and Maurizio Giustetto and Patrizia Panzanelli at the
University of Turin.
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Story Source:
The above story is reprinted (with editorial adaptations by ScienceDaily
staff) from materials provided by European Molecular Biology Laboratory.
Journal Reference:
Rosa C. Paolicelli, Giulia Bolasco, Francesca Pagani, Laura Maggi, Maria
Scianni, Patrizia Panzanelli, Maurizio Giustetto, Tiago Alves Ferreira, Eva
Guiducci, Laura Dumas, Davide Ragozzino, Cornelius T. Gross. Synaptic Pruning
by Microglia Is Necessary for Normal Brain Development. Science, 2011; DOI:
10.1126/science.1202529
Need to cite this story in your essay, paper, or report? Use one of the
following formats:
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European Molecular Biology Laboratory (2011, July 22). Gardening in the brain:
Cells called microglia prune the connections between neurons, shaping how the
brain is wired. ScienceDaily. Retrieved July 25, 2011, from
http://www.sciencedaily.com /releases/2011/07/110721142410.htm
Note: If no author is given, the source is cited instead.
Disclaimer: This article is not intended to provide medical advice, diagnosis
or treatment. Views expressed here do not necessarily reflect those of
ScienceDaily or its staff.
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