Microglia development follows a stepwise program to regulate brain homeostasis

TLDR

Microglia are cells that defend the CNS, but their developmental changes during brain migration are difficult to document. The authors performed single‑cell transcriptional profiling and epigenetic analysis of mouse microglia during early postnatal life. They identified three developmental stages marked by gene expression and chromatin changes that align with brain maturation, and showed that the microbiome influences proper microglia development. The study is reported in Science, issue p.

Abstract

Microglia development follows a stepwise program Microglia are cells that defend the central nervous system. However, because they migrate into the brain during development, the changes that they undergo, including those that affect gene expression, have been difficult to document. Matcovitch-Natan et al. transcriptionally profiled gene expression and analyzed epigenetic signatures of microglia at the single-cell level in the early postnatal life of mice. They identified three stages of microglia development, which are characterized by gene expression and linked with chromatin changes, occurring in sync with the developing brain. Furthermore, they showed that the proper development of microglia is affected by the microbiome. Science , this issue p. 789