A Microglia Sublineage Protects from Sex-Linked Anxiety Symptoms and Obsessive Compulsion.

Aberrant microglia activity is associated with many neurological and psychiatric disorders, yet our knowledge about the pathological mechanisms is incomplete. Here, we describe a genetically defined microglia sublineage in mice which has the ability to suppress obsessive compulsion and anxiety symptoms. These microglia derive from precursors expressing the transcription factor Hoxb8.

Hematopoietic origin of pathological grooming in Hoxb8 mutant mice.

Mouse Hoxb8 mutants show unexpected behavior manifested by compulsive grooming and hair removal, similar to behavior in humans with the obsessive-compulsive disorder spectrum disorder trichotillomania. As Hox gene disruption often has pleiotropic effects, the root cause of this behavioral deficit was unclear. Here we report that, in the brain, Hoxb8 cell lineage exclusively labels bone marrow-derived microglia.

Distinct protein domains regulate ciliary targeting and function of C. elegans PKD-2.

TRPP2 (transient receptor potential polycystin-2) channels function in a range of cells where they are localized to specific subcellular regions including the endoplasmic reticulum (ER) and primary cilium. In humans, TRPP2/PC-2 mutations severely compromise kidney function and cause autosomal dominant polycystic kidney disease (ADPKD). The Caenorhabditis elegans TRPP2 homolog, PKD-2, is restricted to the somatodendritic (cell body and dendrite) and ciliary compartments of male specific sensory neurons.

The KLP-6 kinesin is required for male mating behaviors and polycystin localization in Caenorhabditis elegans.

Background: Male mating behavior of the nematode Caenorhabditis elegans offers an intriguing model to study the genetics of sensory behavior, cilia function, and autosomal dominant polycystic kidney disease (ADPKD). The C. elegans polycystins LOV-1 and PKD-2 act in male-specific sensory cilia required for response and vulva-location mating behaviors.