Role of Microglia in Ataxias
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Review Role of Microglia in Ataxias Austin Ferro 1, Carrie Sheeler 1, Juao-Guilherme Rosa 1 and Marija Cvetanovic 1,2 1 - Department of Neuroscience, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN 55455, USA 2 - Institute for Translational Neuroscience, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN 55455, USA Correspondence to Austin Ferro: [email protected], [email protected], [email protected], [email protected] https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jmb.2019.01.016 Edited by Kristine Karla Freude Abstract Microglia, the resident macrophages of the central nervous system, critically influence neural function during development and in adulthood. Microglia are also profoundly sensitive to insults to the brain to which they respond with process of activation that includes spectrum of changes in morphology, function, and gene expression. Ataxias are a class of neurodegenerative diseases characterized by motor discoordination and predominant cerebellar involvement. In case of inherited forms of ataxia, mutant proteins are expressed throughout the brain and it is unclear why cerebellum is particularly vulnerable. Recent studies demonstrated that cerebellar microglia have a uniquely hyper-vigilant immune phenotype compared to microglia from other brain regions. These findings may indicate that microglia actively contribute to cerebellar vulnerability in ataxias. Here we review current knowledge about cerebellar microglia, their activation, and their role in the pathogenesis of ataxias. In addition, we briefly review advantages and disadvantages of several experimental approaches available to study microglia. © 2019 Published by Elsevier Ltd. Introduction bulbar muscular atrophy, and dentatorubral and pallidoluysian atrophy [2,7]. The clinical manifesta- The ataxias are a family of neurological disorders tion of polyQ ataxias is very similar and often characterized by loss of balance and coordinated includes progressive cerebellar ataxia, oculomotor motor function [1]. Ataxias are classified as hered- abnormalities, dysarthria (difficulties in speech), itary, sporadic, or acquired to denote what is known pigmentary retinopathy, peripheral neuropathy, and of their etiology. Hereditary ataxias are caused by a cognitive dysfunction [8]. Disruption of cerebellar wide range of known genetic mutations with varying cortical function accounts for many of the motor and patterns of inheritance [2]. Sporadic ataxias have an cognitive symptoms in polyQ ataxias [9]. The only unknown cause with potential environmental and sources of output from the cerebellar cortex to deep genetic components [2]. Acquired ataxias, on the cerebellar nuclei are axonal projections from Pur- other hand, include disorders with endogenous or kinje cells. Cerebellar afferents modulate cerebellar exogenous causes that are not genetic in nature, cortical output via transmission to Purkinje cell such as those arising from focal cerebellar damage somas (climbing fibers) and to granule cells (mossy caused by toxic agents, vitamin deficiencies, im- fibers) whose parallel fibers synapse onto the mune reactions, infection, and injury [3–5]. dendritic arbors of several Purkinje cells. PolyQ Autosomal dominant cerebellar ataxias caused by ataxias are characterized by the predominant the expansion of CAG trinucleotide repeats, includ- neurodegeneration of cerebellar afferents and the ing spinocerebellar ataxia (SCA) types 1, 2, 3, 6, 7, Purkinje cells, thereby disrupting the circuitry and and 17, are among the most understood ataxias function of the cerebellar cortex [10]. [1,6]. As CAG encodes for glutamine, these ataxias Animal models of several CAG repeat diseases have belong to the group of polyglutamine (polyQ) been generated, providing insight into the mechanisms diseases that includes Huntington's disease, spinal underlying polyQ-induced degeneration of Purkinje 0022-2836/© 2019 Published by Elsevier Ltd. Journal of Molecular Biology (2019) 431, 1792–1804 Review: Role of Microglia in Ataxias 1793 neurons [9,11–16]. However, the contribution of non- a relatively long developmental time. Human cerebellar neuronal cells, including microglia, astrocytes, and development extends from the early embryonic period oligodendrocytes to the pathology of ataxia has been until the first postnatal years [28]. This protracted period much less explored. of postnatal development leaves the cerebellum Microglia have emerged as key players in age- and vulnerable to extrinsic and intrinsic injury [29,30]. disease-associated neurodegeneration, contributing to Early injury may alter the roles of microglia in cerebellar tissue support and disease progression [17]. Indeed, development, causing developmental abnormalities microglia have been shown to contribute to neurode- that can have far reaching effects in adulthood. For generation through cell autonomous and cell non- example, during early postnatal cerebellar develop- autonomous mechanisms [18–20]. These studies ment [postnatal day 3 (P3)] in mice, normal apoptosis of provide evidence that microglia may play active roles Purkinje neurons was strongly reduced by selective in diseases traditionally thought to be predominantly elimination of microglia, indicating that microglia neuronal. Here, we will review the importance of eliminate superfluous Purkinje neurons [23].AtP6–7, microglia in the cerebellum and the evidence for and microglia promote GABA-ergic inhibition on Purkinje against their contribution to the pathogenesis of the cells and prune superfluous synapses [31]. Elimination ataxias and their effect on other non-neuronal cells. of immature, functionally redundant synapses during Furthermore, we will also review novel techniques that postnatal development is essential for the formation of show promise in overcoming current limitations of the functional cerebellar network [32]. Disruption of studying microglia, namely, the use of human-induced these developmental processes can lead to cerebellar pluripotent stem cells (hiPSCs). dysfunction [33,34]. Importantly, studies on mouse models of SCA1 have demonstrated that disruption of these processes may also pre-dispose the cerebellum Uniqueness of Cerebellar Microglia to age-induced neurodegeneration [35,36]. To maintain adult brain homeostasis, microglia Microglia are the resident macrophages of the central constantly extend and retract their processes to survey nervous system and have a wide variety of functions the local environment for synaptic activity [37], patho- during development as well as in adulthood. Microglia gen presence, and injury [38,39]. Madry et al. [40] surveille the local neural state and aid in maintenance recently established that constant microglial surveil- of the extracellular space. Moreover, functions that lance depends on the expression of the two-pore microglia perform are dependent on age, inflammatory domain potassium (K+) channel (THIK1). They dem- state, and location. Unlike other brain cells, microglia onstrated that tonic THIK1 activity maintains microglial originate from the erythromyeloid progenitors that in membrane potential and that blocking THIK1 reduces mice develop around embryonic day 8.5 (E8.5) in the microglial ramification and surveillance. These results yolk sack. Erythromyeloid progenitors migrate to the implicate a potential role of extracellular K+ concentra- brain starting around E9.5 and continue to do so until tion, arising from local neuronal activity, as a control the blood–brain barrier is formed around E14 [21,22]. mechanism for microglial surveillance. While it is During the early development, microglia have lasting unclear whether physiological changes in extracellular effects on the developing neural architecture, including K+ concentration are sufficiently large to alter microglial their well-understood role in superfluous cellular and surveillance, pathological changes in neuronal or synaptic pruning [23,24]. Recent studies using astroglial function are likely to do so. For example, it genome-wide chromatin and gene expression profiling is possible that enhanced neuronal activity [41] and/or demonstrated that microglia undergo three distinct reduced clearance by astrocytes [42] may increase developmental stages: early microglia (until E14), pre- extracellular K+, thereby altering microglial surveillance microglia (from E14 to a few weeks after birth), and and morphology through THIK1. adult microglia (from a few weeks after birth). These Microglia do seem to be attracted to areas of high developmental steps are regulated by distinct tran- physiological neuronal activity, whether drawn by scriptional factors that allow for different roles of THIK1signalingtoareasofincreased extracellular K+ microglia at each of these stages of life [25,26]. [40] or by adenosine signaling through the purinergic Importantly, sensome genes, through which microglia receptor P2Y12 [38,43].Liet al. [37] demonstrated that sense the environment [27],areexpressedeveninthe microglia briefly (~5 min) contact highly active neurons, early stages of development. This indicates that subsequently reducing their activity. Intriguingly, during microglia are environmentally alert at all stages of ischemic injury, the duration of these microglia–neuron development and may respond to brain insults. contacts is prolonged (~1 h) and can lead to synapse Moreover, evidence suggests that exposure to insults removal [41]. Furthermore, Davalos et al. [38] demon- during development may alter the developmental roles strated that increase in ATP causes rapid recruitment of of microglia and thus