The nonclassical MHC class I Qa-1 expressed in layer 6 neurons regulates activity-dependent plasticity via microglial CD94/NKG2 in the cortex

• DOI: 10.1073/pnas.2203965119
• Publication Date: 2022-06-01T18:00:29Z
• Authors: Ioana A. Marin; Alan Y. Gutman-Wei; Kylie S. Chew; Aram J. Raissi; Maja Djurisic; Carla J. Shatz
• Keywords: Cerebral Cortex; Mice, Knockout; Neurons; Mice; Neuronal Plasticity; Histocompatibility Antigens Class I; Animals; Microglia; Biological Sciences; NK Cell Lectin-Like Receptor Subfamily C; NK Cell Lectin-Like Receptor Subfamily D; 3. Good health

Significance Molecules regulated by neuronal activity are necessary for circuits to adapt changing inputs. Specific classical major histocompatibility class I (MHCI) molecules play roles in circuit and synaptic plasticity, but the function of most members this family remains unexplored brain. Here, we show that a nonclassical MHCI molecule, Qa-1 (H2-T23), is expressed subset excitatory neurons visually driven cerebral cortex. Moreover, CD94/NKG2 heterodimers, cognate receptors Qa-1, microglia. A functional interaction between regulating magnitude ocular dominance plasticity during critical period visual cortex, implying an which activity-dependent changes may be monitored