Mario Capecchi

The Role of Microglia in Controlling Behaviour

Disruption of Hoxb8 causes chronic anxiety and pathological overgrooming. We have shown that optogenetic stimulation of Hoxb8 microglia in specific regions of the brain induces elevated anxiety and/or pathological grooming. Conversely behavioural stimulation of mice induces calcium transients within microglia within specific regions of the brain. Calcium signaling is responsible for the induction of behaviours. Similar processes occur in humans.