Astrocyte-Microglial Communication in Developmental Synapse Remodeling Anna V Molofsky1 1University of California -San Francisco
Synapse formation and remodeling is essential to central nervous system (CNS) development and is dysfunctional in neurodevelopmental diseases including autism and schizophrenia. While innate immune signals regulate tissue remodeling in the periphery, their impact on CNS synapses is still being elucidated. We have found that the IL-1 family cytokine Interleukin-33 (IL-33) is produced by developing astrocytes and is developmentally required for normal synapse numbers and neural circuit function. We find that IL-33 signals primarily to microglia under physiologic conditions, that it promotes microglial synapse engulfment, and that it can drive microglial-dependent synapse depletion in vivo. Future work will explore the impact of IL-33 and other cytokines in regulation of microglial function.
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