This seminar is being held virtually and is open only to members of the MIT community. Please use this link to join: https://mit.zoom.us/j/95979327350

Special Seminar with Emilia Favuzzi, PhD

Artisans of brain wiring: neuron-microglia selective crosstalk in brain wiring and function

How is the appropriate balance of connectivity established to build functional brain networks?

Different GABAergic inhibitory interneurons exhibit unique connectivity patterns that are tied to their functional roles. In my graduate work, I identified the cell-specific expression of synaptic molecules that direct the intracellular positioning of inhibitory synaptic inputs. During my postdoctoral work, I examined how following their assembly, synaptic connections undergo a process of refinement. Microglia, the primary brain macrophages, regulate a plethora of events that impact the organization of neural circuits, including synapse fine-tuning. Neuronal synapses exhibit a striking diversity that reflects a specialized molecular architecture. I have explored whether the interactions between microglia and synapses are similarly specialized. I examined this question, using inhibitory synapses as a point of comparison. I identified a subset of microglia that is receptive to GABA and selectively remodels inhibitory synapses. Perturbing these specialized microglia causes long-lasting defects in inhibitory connectivity that leads to behavioral abnormalities, without impacting excitatory synapses. These findings demonstrate that specialized microglia differentially engage with specific synapse types and highlight a critical function of the selective communication between neuronal and microglia types in brain wiring. I will conclude my talk by sharing future research directions, including testing the hypothesis that similar selectivity also underlies neuron-microglia crosstalk in the adult.