Novel Microglia Depletion Systems: A Genetic Approach Utilizing Conditional Diphtheria Toxin Receptor Expression and a Pharmacological Model Based on the Blocking of Macrophage Colony-Stimulating Factor 1 Receptor
- Resource Type
- Authors
- Ari Waisman; Julia Bruttger; Florent Ginhoux; Maja Kitic; Peter See
- Source
- Microglia ISBN: 9781493996575
- Subject
- 0301 basic medicine
Diphtheria toxin
Macrophage Colony-Stimulating Factor 1 Receptor
education.field_of_study
Microglia
Population
Biology
Cell biology
03 medical and health sciences
030104 developmental biology
0302 clinical medicine
medicine.anatomical_structure
Genetic model
Blocking antibody
CX3CR1
medicine
education
Receptor
030217 neurology & neurosurgery
- Language
Microglia are the main population of macrophage residing in the central nervous system (CNS). Depletion experiments gave important insights into the physiology and function of microglia in healthy and diseased CNS. Ablation of microglia can be achieved by application of pharmacological or genetic tools. Here, we describe two approaches to ablate microglia: an efficient genetic model that utilizes DTRMG mouse line that has diphtheria toxin receptor (DTR) expression regulated by the promoter activity of the fractalkine receptor (CX3CR1) gene, and a pharmacological model that utilizes the blocking of macrophage colony-stimulating factor 1 receptor (CSF-1R) with a blocking antibody. Both the administration of systemic diphtheria toxin or anti-CSF-1R blocking antibody result in highly efficient and reversible depletion of microglia population in the CNS, which can be easily assessed by flow cytometry.