Glial cells Flashcards
What this topic is about and what you’ll learn
- Development of glial lineages
- Developmental timing and regulation of differentiation
- Roles of glia in the developing brain
- Control of synaptic pruning, neurogenesis and neuronal differentiation
- Roles of astrocytes in the healthy, ageing and diseased brain. Regulation of BBB and synaptic function
- Roles of microglia in the healthy, aging and diseased brain. Regulation of immune-to-brain communication, neuronal physiology, inflammatory activation in brain disease
- Roles of myelinating glial cells in the peripheral and CNS. Demyelinating diseases
- Methods to study the roles of glial cells in vitro and in vivo
LO
- Describe the timing and steps of the developmental formation of the individual glial cell types in the nervous system
- Provide an overview of the different lineages of glial cells, and the critical factors defining lineage commitment and differentiation
- Detail the roles played by glial cells in the developing brain, including their contribution to synaptic pruning, neurogenesis and neuronal differentiation and their regulation of the BBB
- Describe the functions played by the different glial cells types in the adult and ageing nervous system
- Describe and give examples of critical roles of glial cells in brain disorders like Alzheimer’s disease, MS or stroke. Discuss the contribution of glial cell activation to the progression of brain disorders
Tell me the two types of neural cells and their subdivisions
Although glia cells DO NOT carry nerve impulses (Action potentials) they do have many important functions. In fact, without glia, the neurons would not work properly
What are the four main functions of glial cells?
- To surround neurons and provide physical support (hold them in place)
- To supply nutrients and oxygen to neurons
- To isolate one neuron from another and facilitate synaptic communication
- To destroy and remove cell debris and unwanted molecules
What does the glia have important role in?
Glia has important development roles, guiding migration of neurons in early development, and producing molecules that modify the growth of axons and dendrites
What are glia also active participants in?
Glia are also active participants in synaptic transmission, regulating clearance of neurotransmitter from the synaptic cleft, releasing factors such as ATP which modulate presynaptic function, and even releasing neurotransmitters themselves
What else does glia have a fundamental role in?
Glia plays a fundamental role in brain disease and degeneration, defining the pathophysiology trajectory
Phylogenetical advantage of glial cells
Historical perspectives of glia cells
- The discovery of neuroglia is usually credited to Rudolf Virchow, a mid-nineteenth century German anatomist… but the first description of the glia was much earlier, when French physician Rene Dutrochet noted small globules among the large globules of the mollusk nervous system in 1824
- Virchow, in 1856, was the first to name these structures, calling them first glia from the Greek γλία and γλοία “glue” and later “nevernkitt,” meaning nerve-glue and translated to “neuroglia.”
- Otto Deiters also had a role in the earliest descriptions of non-neuronal nervous tissue, claiming the defining feature of these new cells was their lack of axons (Some of the cells he found meeting this description were in fact incompletely stained neurons)
- Most of the debate and disagreement around classification (embryonic origins)
- Ectodermic origin: Deiters was the first to suggest this, and were thus epithelial rather than connective tissue, as Virchow thought
- Andriezen recognised two types of glia in 1893, ectodermal fibrous glia in the white matter and mesoblastic protoplasmic glia in the grey matter
- Ramon y Cajal agreed with the classification but argues that both came from the ectoderm. Ramon y cajal also notes a non-glial third element without dendrites or polarity, which probably resulted from a staining artifact
- In 1920, Pio del Rio-Hortega, a student of cajal, classified the glia into four types: protoplasmic in grey matter, neuroglia and interfascicular glia) what are now oligodendrocytes) … what brought him a lot of trouble!
- See Sierra et al 2016 Glia, for full translation of Rio-Hortega work
Tell me some of the functions that have been discovered about glia cells over history?
Many of the functions are now recognised, however, were proposed by the earliest neuroscientists, such as:
- Glias ability to secrete chemicals (Nageotte)
- Their association with blood vessels (Golgi)
- Their morphological plasticity (Cajal)
- Their ability to electrically insulate (Cajal)
- Their role in neurotransmitter uptake and termination (Lugaro)
- Role in pathology (Virchow)
Macroglial lineages and development: traditional view
Tell me the neuroglia found in the PNS
Satellite cells
Schwann cells
Tell me the neuroglia found in the CNS
Ependymal cells
Microglia
Astrocytes
Oligodendrocytes
Tell me the following about satellite cells
- what are the surrounded by
- what do they regulate
Tell me the following about schwann cells
- what are they surrounded by?
- What are they responsible for?
- what do they participate in?
What is the role of oligodendrocytes?
Tell me the following about astrocytes
- what do they maintain
- what do they provide
- what do they regulate
- what do they absorb
- what do they form
What do microglia remove?
What do the ependymal cells line and what do they assist in?
Tell me what type of cells satellite cells are and where they reside
satellite cells are glial cells that live in ganglia. They are the only cell type there
Tell me the divisions of the brain i.e. forebrain, midbrain and hindbrain
Developmental layers
Brain development
Lineages and fate choice
What are radial glial cells?
Radial glial cells, or radial glial progenitor cells (RGPs), are bipolar-shaped progenitor cells that are responsible for producing all of the neurons in the cerebral cortex. RGPs also produce certain lineages of glia, including astrocytes and oligodendrocytes.
cells which have bodies next to ventricle, prolongation goes over developing cortex
What do radial glia cells differentiate from?
They differentiate from neural progenitors early in development, with somata in the ventricular zone and extending prolongations to the pia
What can radial glial cells give rise to?
They can give rise to all cell lineages, contributing to populate the brain and providing a scaffold for neuronal migration
Diagram of cells from embryo to adult
What are key stage O2A progenitor cells?
Key stage O2A progenitor that can give rise to astrocytes and oligodendrocytes
What do cells acquire as the migrate and colonise specific regions?
Cells acquire identity as they migrate and colonise specific regions, defined by the factors they encounter
Tell me about oligodendrocyte differentiation
Oligodendrocyte differentiation is a stepwise programme from NG2 precursors (retained throughout life) to mature myelinating oligodendrocytes
What do cell do neural crest cells give rise to?
Neural crest cells give rise to schwann cell precursors, also give rise to peripheral sensory and autonomic neurones and satellite cells of the dorsal root ganglia
What can immature schwann cells differentiate into?
Immature schwann cells differentiate into myelinating or non-myelinating depending on early association with large or small diameter axons, respectively
What is schwann cell de-differentiation an important process during?
Their de-differentiation is an important process during Wallerian degeneration
Tell me about the stages of astrocyte lineage development
Unlike OLs, the stages of astrocyte lineage development are poorly defined, lacking stage-specific markers and clearly defined developmental endpoints
Astrocyte functional heterogeneity is starting to emerge (see specific lectures), suggesting the number and role of subpopulations is yet to be defined
Tell me about astrocyte maturation
New insights into macroglial lineages
Cajal and his insight into adult neurogenesis redefining embryonic development
“one development was ended, the founts of growth and regeneration of axons dried up irrevocably. In adult centres the nerve paths are fixed, ended, immutable. Everything may die, nothing may be regenerated. It is for science to change, if possible, this harsh decree” (Ramon y Cajal 1913- 1914)
Adult neurogenesis
Tell me about hippocampal neurogenesis
What is neurogenesis?
Neurogenesis is the process by which new neurons are formed in the brain. Neurogenesis is crucial when an embryo is developing, but also continues in certain brain regions after birth and throughout our lifespan.
Cell reprogramming
Cell reprogramming can be a target for neurodegenerative diseases such as Alzheimer’s to help replace hippocampal cells
Summary
- Historical overview of the definition of glial cells and their functions
- Relevance and diversity of glial cells
- Main theories for the developmental specification of glial populations
- Main features of the development of oligodendrocytes, Schwann cells and astrocytes
- New insights into multipotency and lineages
LO for lecture 2
- Introduction and quick history
- Microglial development and functions
- New insights and open questions
Are microglia macrophages?
Disclosure: microglia ARE macrophages… and, actually only one of the brain’s immune populations
Immune census of the brain
Tell me the macrophage subpopulations in the brain
Macrophage subpopulations in the brain
Tell me the possible roles of the following…
- Meninges (BBB)
- Perivascular space
- Choroid plexus (Blood-CSF barrier)
- Brain Parenchyma
Tell me the basic characteristics of the microglial population
- Ramifies morphology, tiling the brain parenchyma in a mosaic-like distribution
- Biggest differences in morphology between grey (ramified) and white (bipolar) matter
- Variable densities in different regions, with each cell covering an average volume of 50000µm3
- Equipped with a repertoire of immune “sensors” with “reactants”, allowing rapid and plastic reactions to distributions of the brains homeostasis
What are the systemic sensing microglia?
Brief history of microglia
- 1880: Nissl staining developed by Franz Nissl, allowing visualisation of cells including microglia
- Nissl and Robertson, first described microglial cells, showing that microglia are related to macrophages. Stābchenzellen (rod cells)
- the activation of microglia and formation of ramified microglial clusters was first noted by victor babes while studying a rabies case in 1897. Babes noted the cells were found in a variety of viral brain infections but did not know what the clusters of microglia he saw were
- Pío del Río Hortega, a student of Santiago Ramón y Cajal, first called the cells “microglia” around 1920
- Rio Hortega went on to characterise microglial response to brain lesions in 1927 and not the “fountains of microglia” present in the corpus callosum and other perinatal white matter areas in 1932. After many years of research Rio-Hortega became generally considered as the “father of Microglia”
- 1988, Hickey and kimura showed that perivascular microglial cells are bone-marrow derived, and express high levels of MHC class II proteins used for antigen presentation
Tell me what Rio Hortega assumed and discovered and now whats considered
Colonisation and lineages
What are EMPs and what are they derived from? What does this give rise to?
Erythromyeloid progenitors (EMPs) derived from yolk sac give rise to all macrophage populations
Tell me about the brain’s colonisation
The brain is colonised directly (without relay in the liver) and earlier than other organs
Uncommitted EMPs express what?
Uncommitted EMPs express specific markers such as CD31+ and c-Kit+
What do EMPs develop via?
EMPs develop via the macrophage ancestor population A1 (CD45+, CX3CR1low, F4/80low) into the A2 (CD45+, CX3CR1hi, F4/80hi) progenitor population that commit to microglial cells
Specification of microglia during development
Where do Amoeboid cells persist? What do they acquire?
Amoeboid cells persist during the first 2 weeks of the postnatal brain where they gradually acquire the ramified shape characteristic of microglia in the steady state
What are the initial small subset of master regulators of macrophage development?
What do they drive?
Initially, a small subset of master regulators of macrophage development, including PU.1, C/EBPs, RUNX1, and IRF8
cooperatively drives specification and fate acquisition of EMPs into immature macrophages