Microglia monitor and protect neuronal function through specialized somatic purinergic junctions

• DOI: 10.1126/science.aax6752
• Publication Date: 2019-12-13T00:05:24Z
• Authors: Csaba Cserép; Balázs Pósfai; Nikolett Lénárt; Rebeka Fekete; Zsófia I. László; Zsolt Lele; Barbara Orsolits; Gábor Molnár; Steffanie Heindl; Anett D. Schwarcz; Katinka Ujvári; Zsuzsanna Környei; Krisztina Tóth; Eszter Szabadits; Beáta Sperlágh; Mária Baranyi; László Csiba; Tibor Hortobágyi; Zsófia Maglóczky; Bernadett Martinecz; Gábor Szabó; Ferenc Erdélyi; Róbert Szipőcs; Michael M. Tamkun; Benno Gesierich; Marco Duering; István Katona; Arthur Liesz; Gábor Tamás; Ádám Dénes
• Keywords: Purinergic Signalling; Premovement neuronal activity

Microglia are the main immune cells in brain and have roles homeostasis neurological diseases. Mechanisms underlying microglia-neuron communication remain elusive. Here, we identified an interaction site between neuronal cell bodies microglial processes mouse human brain. Somatic junctions a specialized nanoarchitecture optimized for purinergic signaling. Activity of mitochondria was linked with junction formation, which induced rapidly response to activation blocked by inhibition P2Y12 receptors. Brain injury-induced changes at somatic triggered receptor-dependent neuroprotection, regulating calcium load functional connectivity. Thus, these could potentially monitor protect functions.