Cited by 856Multiple Sclerosis Research StudiesNeuroinflammation and Neurodegeneration MechanismsT-cell and B-cell Immunology

The DOI matches its Crossref record; 49 of the 51 references it cites were found in a registry or an index; 26 of the 47 sources its claims cite were checked for support.

Differential roles of microglia and monocytes in the inflamed central nervous system

Open access

Abstract

In the human disorder multiple sclerosis (MS) and in the model experimental autoimmune encephalomyelitis (EAE), macrophages predominate in demyelinated areas and their numbers correlate to tissue damage. Macrophages may be derived from infiltrating monocytes or resident microglia, yet are indistinguishable by light microscopy and surface phenotype. It is axiomatic that T cell–mediated macrophage activation is critical for inflammatory demyelination in EAE, yet the precise details by which tissue injury takes place remain poorly understood. In the present study, we addressed the cellular basis of autoimmune demyelination by discriminating microglial versus monocyte origins of effector macrophages. Using serial block-face scanning electron microscopy (SBF-SEM), we show that monocyte-derived macrophages associate with nodes of Ranvier and initiate demyelination, whereas microglia appear to clear debris. Gene expression profiles confirm that monocyte-derived macrophages are highly phagocytic and inflammatory, whereas those arising from microglia demonstrate an unexpected signature of globally suppressed cellular metabolism at disease onset. Distinguishing tissue-resident macrophages from infiltrating monocytes will point toward new strategies to treat disease and promote repair in diverse inflammatory pathologies in varied organs.

Overview

AI snapshot

Written from the paper’s full text.

TL;DR

Using dual reporter mice and serial block-face scanning electron microscopy, this study shows that monocyte-derived macrophages (MDMs) initiate demyelination at EAE onset, often at nodes of Ranvier, while microglia-derived macrophages (MiDMs) clear debris and show a suppressed metabolic gene signature. Expression profiling further indicates that MDMs and MiDMs have distinct effector programs despite sharing the same inflammatory CNS environment.

Key findings

  • At EAE onset, MDMs and MiDMs were present in equal numbers; MiDM expansion began at peak, and at recovery MiDMs returned near preonset numbers while MDM frequency continued to decline.
  • Most axoglial units (55/75; 73%) contacted both MDMs and MiDMs, but where only one myeloid type was present (20/75; 27%), nearly all were MDMs (18/20); 2–3 MDMs attached to each of 18/20 (90%) such units.
  • MDMs contacted nodes of Ranvier in 7/75 (9%) axoglial units and showed invasive/demyelinating behavior; no MiDMs contacted nodes of Ranvier. In CCR2-deficient mice, demyelination was significantly reduced at EAE onset.
  • MDM-enriched genes more often encoded effector functions than MiDM-enriched genes (18/28; 64.3% vs. 18/48; 37.5%), and MiDMs showed down-regulation of metabolic, activation, phagocytosis, and reactive oxygen species–related functions at onset.

Methods

  • EAE was induced with MOG35–55 in Ccr2rfp/+::Cx3cr1gfp/+ and Ccr2rfp/rfp::Cx3cr1gfp/+ mice; CNS mononuclear cells were analyzed by flow cytometry and sorted as F4/80+RFP+ MDMs or F4/80+GFP+ MiDMs.
  • Confocal 3D morphometry and serial block-face scanning electron microscopy (SBF-SEM) were used to distinguish MDMs from MiDMs and quantify their relationships to axoglial units, nodes of Ranvier, myelin debris, and demyelination.
  • nCounter digital multiplexed gene expression of 179 inflammation-related genes was performed on naive microglia/monocytes and sorted MiDMs/MDMs across EAE onset, peak, and recovery, with hierarchical clustering, k-means clustering, and Ingenuity IPA pathway analysis.

Limitations

  • The paper states that the study focused on a single pathogenically relevant time point, EAE onset, so it could not decipher the phenotypic fate of infiltrated monocytes.
  • The authors state that conclusions should not be generalized beyond the present disease paradigm, noting that other models such as spinal cord contusion include Ly6Clow/CX3CR1gfp monocytes that are highly pathogenic.
  • Evident from the text: the ultrastructural criteria used to distinguish MDMs and MiDMs may not be universally present in other pathological circumstances, and the findings are from mouse EAE rather than direct human MS tissue.

Model-written summary. Check it against the paper before relying on it.

Integrity signals

Registry

Crossref · 10.1084/jem.20132477

Cites

49 of 49 references verified0 citation errors · 0 not checkable

Statistics

Nothing to recompute.

Verification

Claims the paper makes

26 of 47 cited sources checked · 9 supported · 0 flagged · accuracy not yet measured

Show all 113 claims

  • It may state two separate claims as one. 39
  • Probably not a substantial claim. 16
51 of 51
  • The paper relies on this without support.

    Monocytes continuously differentiate throughout postnatal life from bone marrow hematopoietic stem cells, which require the transcription factor Myb.

    “whereas monocytes continuously differentiate throughout postnatal life from bone marrow hematopoietic stem cells (HSCs), which require the transcription factor Myb.”
  • The paper relies on this without support.

    Macrophages derived from microglia and monocytes are indistinguishable at the light microscopic level both morphologically and by surface markers.

    “In tissue sections, macrophages derived from these two distinct precursors are indistinguishable at the light microscopic level both morphologically and by surface markers.”
  • The paper relies on this without support.

    There is virtually no background trafficking of monocytes in the CNS parenchyma of healthy animals.

    “as there is virtually no background trafficking of monocytes in the CNS parenchyma of healthy animals.”
  • The authors state this as an assumption.

    The cellular mechanisms by which macrophages promote disease progression are uncertain.

    “However the cellular mechanisms by which macrophages promote disease progression are uncertain.”
  • The paper relies on this without support.

    Microglia represent one instance of tissue-resident macrophages, which reside in all organs.

    “Microglia represent one instance of tissue-resident macrophages, which reside in all organs.”
  • The authors state this as an assumption.

    Exposure of monocytes and microglia to the same intensely inflammatory environment increases the likelihood that they adopt a convergent inflammatory phenotype.

    “to increase the likelihood that ambient conditions could activate these two myeloid cell types toward a convergent inflammatory phenotype”
  • The paper relies on this without support.

    The EAE disease model exposes both recruited monocytes and resident microglia to the same intensely inflammatory environment.

    “Selection of the EAE disease model ensured that both recruited monocytes and resident microglia were exposed to the same intensely inflammatory environment”
7 of 7

Claims other papers make about this one

Each is checked against this paper’s own text: does it say what the citing paper says it does?

Self-check

Percentages, sums and reported differences re-computed from the paper’s own numbers.

Each contradiction between two passages listed here was confirmed by an independent check.

  • Expression-profiling sample sizes conflict

    Major

    The gene-expression methods say RNA was pooled from three mice per data point, whereas Figure 6 describes a pool of five mice at each time point.

  • Figure 5 legend names the same genotype twice for a two-genotype comparison

    Minor

    The Figure 5F description lists two identical Ccr2rfp/+ groups, while its sample description lists both Ccr2rfp/+ and Ccr2rfp/rfp groups.

  • Figure 7 panel cited for MDM functions is labeled MiDM

    Minor

    The text attributes MDM up-regulated functions to Figure 7B, but the figure legend assigns MDM functions to panel A and MiDM functions to panel B.

3 of 3

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Metadata

Authors
Yamasaki, R., Lu, H., Butovsky, O., Ohno, N., Rietsch, A. M., Cialic, R., Wu, P. M., Doykan, C. E., Lin, J., Cotleur, A. C., Kidd, G., Zorlu, M. M., Sun, N., Hu, W., Liu, L., Lee, J.-C., Taylor, S. E., Uehlein, L., Dixon, D., Gu, J., Floruta, C. M., Zhu, M., Charo, I. F., Weiner, H. L., & Ransohoff, R. M.
Affiliations
  • Cleveland Clinic (US)
  • Brigham and Women's Hospital (US)
  • Vanderbilt University (US)
  • Case Western Reserve University (US)
  • University of California, San Francisco (US)
Corresponding author
Ransohoff, Richard M.
Venue
Journal of Experimental Medicine
Published
2014-07-07
Volume
211
Issue
8
Pages
1533-1549
ISSN
  • 0022-1007 (ISSN-L)
  • 1540-9538
OpenAlex
W2159443316
Cited by
856
References
51
Citations by year
2026: 26 · 2025: 49 · 2024: 54 · 2023: 42 · 2022: 58 · 2021: 103 · 2020: 78 · 2019: 76 · 2018: 87 · 2017: 92 · 2016: 96 · 2015: 77 · 2014: 15
FWCI
59.13
Type
journal article
Language
en
Open access
Locations
  • The Journal of Experimental Medicine (publishedVersion)
  • Europe PMC (PubMed Central) (publishedVersion, cc-by-nc-sa)
  • PubMed Central (publishedVersion, cc-by-nc-sa)
  • PubMed (publishedVersion)
  • Digital Access to Scholarship at Harvard (DASH) (Harvard University) (submittedVersion, cc-by)
  • eScholarship (California Digital Library) (submittedVersion)
  • Hacettepe University Institutional Repository (hacettepe.edu.tr) (submittedVersion, other-oa)
Funders
  • Japan Society for the Promotion of Science (26860129)
  • National Institute of General Medical Sciences (T32GM007250)
  • National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke (R01NS088137)
Topics
  • Health Sciences › Medicine › Clinical Neurology › Multiple Sclerosis Research Studies
  • Life Sciences › Neuroscience › Neurology › Neuroinflammation and Neurodegeneration Mechanisms
  • Life Sciences › Immunology and Microbiology › Immunology › T-cell and B-cell Immunology
Keywords
microglia, monocytes, macrophages, multiple sclerosis, experimental autoimmune encephalomyelitis, demyelination, monocyte-derived macrophages, nodes of Ranvier, phagocytosis, cellular metabolism, tissue damage, neuroinflammation, serial block-face scanning electron microscopy
MeSH terms
CX3C Chemokine Receptor 1, Animals, Central Nervous System, Encephalomyelitis, Autoimmune, Experimental, Gene Expression Regulation, Homeostasis, Humans, Inflammation, Kinetics, Macrophages, Mice, Inbred C57BL, Monocytes, Ranvier's Nodes, Time Factors, Signal Transduction, Microglia, Receptors, Chemokine, Gene Expression Profiling, Cell Shape, Mice, Gene Regulatory Networks, Receptors, CCR2

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