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Cited by 20Neuroinflammation and Neurodegeneration MechanismsNeuroscience and Neuropharmacology ResearchNeurological Disease Mechanisms and Treatments

Ultrastructural Analyses of Microglial Interactions with Synapses

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Tremblay, Marie-Ève, Majewska, Ania K.·2019·Methods in Molecular Biology
DOI 10.1007/978-1-4939-9658-2_7PMC PMC7368180
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Abstract

Immunohistochemical electron microscopy (EM) allows the identification of microglial cell bodies and processes, which are otherwise difficult to recognize based on their ultrastructural features. The technique has been essential in defining, at high spatial resolution, microglial interactions with neurons and synapses, thus providing, among other discoveries, important insights into their roles in synaptic pruning and stripping. In this protocol, we describe the preparation of mouse brain tissue for EM, the immunocytochemical staining against ionized calcium binding adaptor molecule 1, the imaging of microglial cell bodies and processes, and the analysis of microglial relationships with the synaptic neuropil.

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  • Microglia are essential for brain development and play a crucial role in preserving CNS health and maintaining homeostatic balance when challenged by infectious or inflammatory cues.

    “These cells are essential for brain development and play a crucial role in preserving the health of the CNS, maintaining its homeostatic balance when challenged by infectious or inflammatory cues [21, 22].”

    From Sex chromosomes and sex hormones differently shape microglial properties during normal physiological conditions in the adult mouse hippocampus (2025) · cites this paper as [22]

    The Introduction (page unavailable) discusses microglial behavior in normal brain development, and the Abstract describes their roles in synaptic pruning and stripping. The paper does not establish that microglia are essential for development or say that they preserve CNS health and maintain homeostasis in response to infectious or inflammatory cues. (LLM, conf=0.78)

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Research works printed but not linked: 14

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Authors
Tremblay, M.-È., & Majewska, A. K.
Affiliations
  • Université Laval (CA)
  • University of Rochester Medicine (US)
Corresponding author
Majewska, Ania K.
ORCID
Venue
Methods in Molecular Biology
Publisher
Springer New York
Published
2019
Volume
2034
Pages
83-95
ISSN
  • 1064-3745 (ISSN-L)
  • 1940-6029
DOI
10.1007/978-1-4939-9658-2_7
PMC
PMC7368180
OpenAlex
W2966019474
Cited by
20
References
4
Citations by year
2026: 2 · 2025: 3 · 2024: 5 · 2023: 5 · 2022: 4 · 2020: 1
FWCI
1.58
Type
book chapter
Language
en
Open access
Licence
www.springer.com/tdm (tdm)
Locations
  • Methods in molecular biology (publishedVersion)
  • PubMed (publishedVersion)
  • PubMed Central (acceptedVersion)
Funders
  • National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism (R01AA027111)
  • National Eye Institute (R01EY019277)
  • National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke (R01NS114480, R21NS099973)
  • National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences (P30ES001247)
Topics
  • Life Sciences › Neuroscience › Neurology › Neuroinflammation and Neurodegeneration Mechanisms
  • Life Sciences › Neuroscience › Cellular and Molecular Neuroscience › Neuroscience and Neuropharmacology Research
  • Life Sciences › Neuroscience › Neurology › Neurological Disease Mechanisms and Treatments
Keywords
microglia, synapses, synaptic pruning, stripping, Iba1
MeSH terms
Animals, Immunohistochemistry, Neurons, Staining and Labeling, Synapses, Microglia, Neuropil, Mice

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