Abstracts
How gut bacteria modulate brain-resident immune cells
Daniel Erny
Institute of Neuropathology, Medical Center - University of Freiburg, Faculty of Medicine, University of Freiburg, 79106 Freiburg, Germany, Breisacher Straße 64, 79106 Freiburg [DE], daniel.erny@uniklinik-freiburg.de
Author(s):
Daniel Erny
Microglia represent the main tissue resident macrophages of the central nervous system (CNS). As innate immune cells microglia are first responders to pathological conditions. Microglia are also crucial for proper brain development and physiological CNS function during adulthood. They maintain tissue homeostasis e.g. by removing cellular debris and remodeling synapses.
In my studies, we have uncovered that gut bacteria critically shape microglial maturation, function and metabolic state in homeostasis and disease by examining various gnotobiotic mouse models (Erny et al., Nature Neuroscience 2015; Erny et al., Cell Metabolism 2021). Further, we determined that gut bacteria critically modulate the pathogenesis In the 5xFAD mouse model for Alzheimer’s disease (AD) via microglia and their capacity to degrade toxic amyloid beta (Aβ) deposits (Mezö et al., Acta Neuropathologica Communications 2020). Mechanistically, we identified the gut-derived acetate as critical gut bacteria-derived mediator for microglia properties and their role in the gut-brain axis (Erny et al., Cell Metabolism 2021).