Subventricular zone microglia possess a unique capacity for massive in vitro expansion.
Microglia, the resident immune cells of the brain, have recently been hypothesized to play a role both in neuronal diseases and age-related neurogenic decline, and are theorized to be modulators of adult neurogenesis. Current methods for the isolation of microglia from cultured primary brain tissue result in relatively poor yield, requiring a large tissue sample or multiple specimens to obtain a sufficient number of microglia for cell and molecular analysis. We report here a method for the repetitive isolation of microglia from established glial monolayer cultures from which it is possible to expand the initial population of microglia roughly 10,000-fold. The expanded population expresses appropriate microglial morphology and phenotype markers, and demonstrates functionally normal phagocytosis, thus providing a high-yield assay for the investigation and analysis of microglia from a single initial dissection of primary tissue. Furthermore, this massive expansion is limited to microglia derived from the subventricular zone as the fold expansion of isolatable microglia was found to be up to 20 times greater than cultures from other brain regions, indicating unique properties for this persistently neurogenic region.
Marshall
Gregory P
GP
Department of Anatomy and Cell Biology, McKnight Brain Institute, Program in Stem Cell Biology and Regenerative Medicine, College of Medicine, University of Florida, Gainesville, Florida 32610, USA.
Demir
Meryem
M
Steindler
Dennis A
DA
Laywell
Eric D
ED
D000818:Animals; D015415:Biomarkers / Q000032:analysis / Q000378:metabolism; D018929:Cell Culture Techniques / Q000379:methods; D049109:Cell Proliferation; D002469:Cell Separation / Q000379:methods; D002478:Cells, Cultured; D004210:Dissection / Q000379:methods; D020547:Lateral Ventricles / Q000166:cytology*; D051379:Mice; D008810:Mice, Inbred C57BL; D017628:Microglia / Q000166:cytology* / Q000502:physiology; D009419:Nerve Tissue Proteins / Q000032:analysis / Q000378:metabolism; D055495:Neurogenesis / Q000502:physiology; D010587:Phagocytosis / Q000502:physiology; D010641:Phenotype; D016548:Prosencephalon / Q000166:cytology* / Q000502:physiology; D013234:Stem Cells / Q000166:cytology / Q000502:physiology
D015415:Biomarkers; D009419:Nerve Tissue Proteins