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Microglia are brain macrophages that engulf and clear cellular material and protein aggregates. Here, the authors show that lipofuscin-like autofluorescence can confound microglial engulfment analyses, which they can resolve with a photobleaching protocol.

PU.1^low CD28-expressing microglia may act as suppressive cells in Alzheimer’s disease, mitigating its progression by reducing neuroinflammation and amyloid plaque load, indicating potential immunotherapeutic approaches for treatment.

Aging drives distinct molecular changes in the brain. Here, the authors use scRNAseq and MERFISH and find that in mice, aging induces subtype-specific, regionally biased changes in striatal astrocytes, marked by transcriptional repression, inflammation, and impaired neuronal interactions.

Sheehan et al. have characterized the circadian translatomes of astrocytes and microglia in the mouse cortex in the context of amyloid pathology or aging, revealing cell- and disease-specific reprogramming of neurodegeneration-related pathways.

This study demonstrates that high alcohol concentrations during binge drinking activate a small GABAergic neuronal ensemble in the medial orbitofrontal cortex, which subsequently reduces further alcohol consumption. This effect is mediated by the ensemble’s projections to the mediodorsal thalamus.

The impact of senescent cells on remyelination is unknown. Here, the authors show that treatment with senolytics following demyelination enhances remyelination in young, but not aged mice, and these effects are mediated by senescence-associated secretory phenotype factors including CCL11.

Miao et al. show that loss of neuronal Vps13d in mice leads to mitochondrial dysfunction, GSDME-mediated mitochondrial DNA release, cGAS–STING inflammatory signaling and activation of microglia, culminating in neuronal loss.

Microglia are resident immune cells of the CNS. Here the authors show that neurons communicate to microglia via activity-dependent fractalkine and ADAM10 signaling to induce removal of synapses in the brain after sensory loss.

Mutations in profilin 1 (PFN1), which modulates actin dynamics, are associated with ALS. Here the authors show that expression of ALS-PFN1 is sufficient to induce deficits in human microglia-like cells, including impaired phagocytosis and lipid metabolism, and that gain-of-function interactions between ALS-PFN1 and PI3P may underlie these deficits.

Eitan et al. discovered genetic variants in the 3′UTR for the gene encoding IL-18 receptor that protect against ALS. The variant 3′UTR destabilizes the mRNA and dampens microglia NF-κB signaling and neurotoxicity, thus emphasizing the value of noncoding genetic association studies.

Single-nucleus transcriptomics defines a diverse set of immune and glial cells at the chronically inflamed leading edge of demyelinated white matter lesions in patients with multiple sclerosis.

Genes that modulate the cytoskeleton have been associated with increased cell proliferation and migration. Here, the authors show that AVIL, an actin regulatory protein, is overexpressed in glioblastomas and mediates oncogenic effects through regulation of FOXM1 stability and LIN28B expression.

Using single-cell RNA sequencing and spatial transcriptomics, Wang et al. recreate a map of glomerular locations in the mouse olfactory bulb. This work describes a spatial organization that may be used by the brain to assist in odor decoding.

Single-cell RNA sequencing was used to construct a map of gene expression in lesions from brains of patients with multiple sclerosis, revealing distinct lineage- and region-specific transcriptomic changes associated with selective cortical neuron damage and glial activation.

Capping protein regulates actin filament dynamics by binding to barbed ends and preventing their growth. Edwards et al. show that capping protein also requires interactions with proteins containing a capping protein interaction motif to promote its proper localization and regulation of actin dynamics.

The actin capping activity of capping protein (CP) is indirectly regulated by competing with other factors for filament binding, or directly by factors that bind CP and sterically inhibit its interactions with filaments. Other proteins interact with CP through their 'capping protein interaction' (CPI) motif and modulate its activity via allosteric effects.

This Review provides an in-depth examination of how inflammation contributes to neurodegeneration in Alzheimer disease. The authors explore the impact of extrinsic factors, such as brain trauma, diet and infections, and host-intrinsic factors, such as the activity of microglial cells and other immune, vascular and neuronal cell populations, on disease development. They also highlight emerging drugs that target this inflammatory component for therapy of Alzheimer disease.

Neural circuits in the mammalian central nervous system are modified in response to neural activity during development. In this Review, Faust and colleagues provide an overview of the mechanisms underlying developmental synaptic pruning and how alterations in this process can occur in neurodevelopmental disorders such as autism spectrum disorder and schizophrenia.

This protocol describes how to implant a removable cranial window, enabling manipulations such as targeted virus injections and microprism insertion, for one- and two-photon calcium imaging of the same cortical brain regions for several months.