Microglia: actively surveying and shaping neuronal circuit structure and function
Abstract
The traditional role of microglia has been in brain infection and disease, phagocytosing debris and secreting factors to modify disease progression. Recent evidence extends their role to healthy brain homeostasis, including the regulation of cell death, synapse elimination, neurogenesis, and neuronal surveillance. These actions contribute to the maturation and plasticity of neural circuits that ultimately shape behavior. Here we review microglial contributions to the development, plasticity, and maintenance of neural circuits with a focus on interactions with synapses. We introduce this topic by reviewing recent studies on the migration and proliferation of microglia within the brain, and conclude with the proposal that microglia dysfunction may adversely affect brain function, and thereby contribute to the development of psychiatric and neurological disorders.
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The above neurophysiological mechanisms are likely highly interactive at multiple explanatory levels.
“The above neurophysiological mechanisms are also likely highly interactive at multiple explanatory levels; for example, dopamine can regulate inflammatory responses and vice versa, 105 and neuroendocrine stress systems and immune regulation may impact neuronal connectivity and brain function.”
From Towards an Integrative Account of Potential Mechanisms Mediating the Path From Sleep Dysfunction to Hallucinations (2025) · cites this paper as [107]
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Origin and functions of tissue macrophages
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Microglia contact induces synapse formation in developing somatosensory cortex
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“However, microglia can also modulate the synaptic function by secreting cytokines, hormones, or growth factors (Wake et al., 2013).”
BackgroundMicroglia Function in Central Nervous System Development and Plasticity
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Glial Biology in Learning and Cognition
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Cosmic radiation exposure and persistent cognitive dysfunction
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Chronic Stress Weakens Connectivity in the Prefrontal Cortex: Architectural and Molecular Changes.
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Microglia in Aging and Alzheimer’s Disease: A Comparative Species Review
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Microglia: unique and common features with other tissue macrophages
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Microglia: A Central Player in Depression
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“While the cell bodies remain relatively stationary, the processes of microglia are extremely motile [34, 53].”
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Strippers Reveal Their Depressing Secrets: Removing AMPA Receptors
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“Microglia are in active and intimate association with neurons during key stages in development, which helps to shape neuronal connectivity (6, 9, 78, 79).”
- Authors
- Wake, H., Moorhouse, A. J., Miyamoto, A., & Nabekura, J.
- Affiliations
- Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development (US)
- UNSW Sydney (AU)
- The Graduate University for Advanced Studies, SOKENDAI (JP)
- Corresponding author
- Nabekura, Junichi
- Venue
- Trends in Neurosciences
- Publisher
- Elsevier BV
- Published
- 2013-04
- Volume
- 36
- Issue
- 4
- Pages
- 209-217
- ISSN
- 0166-2236 (ISSN-L)
- OpenAlex
- W2131016140
- Cited by
- 448
- References
- 98
- Citations by year
- 2026: 11 · 2025: 14 · 2024: 28 · 2023: 25 · 2022: 26 · 2021: 53 · 2020: 44 · 2019: 40 · 2018: 37 · 2017: 38 · 2016: 31 · 2015: 43 · 2014: 38 · 2013: 20
- FWCI
- 3.00
- Type
- journal article
- Language
- en
- Open access
- closed
- Locations
- Trends in Neurosciences (publishedVersion)
- PubMed (publishedVersion)
- Funders
- Japan Society for the Promotion of Science (22240042)
- Core Research for Evolutional Science and Technology
- Topics
- Life Sciences › Neuroscience › Neurology › Neuroinflammation and Neurodegeneration Mechanisms
- Life Sciences › Neuroscience › Cellular and Molecular Neuroscience › Neuroscience and Neuropharmacology Research
- Life Sciences › Neuroscience › Developmental Neuroscience › Neurogenesis and neuroplasticity mechanisms
- Keywords
- microglia, neural circuit development, synaptic pruning, microglial migration, microglial proliferation, neurogenesis, neuronal cell death, brain homeostasis, microglial dysfunction, mental illness, neurological disorders
- MeSH terms
- Animals, Mental Disorders, Humans, Nerve Net, Neuronal Plasticity, Neurons, Synapses, Microglia
About these checks
Registry, retraction, Cites and statistics results are computed, not judged, with one exception: a printed reference that no index lists is read once by a model before it counts as a citation error. Claims are extracted by a model and kept only when their quote appears verbatim in the text; each cited source is then checked, with a model’s help, for whether it says what the claim relies on. Those verdicts can be wrong — read the claim’s quote and the cited source before relying on one.
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