AI Article Synopsis
- Microglial cells are crucial for brain health and are linked to various brain diseases; their migration to injury sites is an area of active research.
- A new micropipette assay enables rapid triggering and observation of microglial migration by creating a chemotactic gradient that attracts these cells, adapting methods used previously for axon movement studies.
- The protocol is straightforward, cost-effective, and allows for simultaneous tracking of cell motion and internal processes, taking about 2-3 hours to complete, and can be modified for different cell types and chemical cues.
Article Abstract
Microglial cells have important roles in maintaining brain homeostasis, and they are implicated in multiple brain diseases. There is currently interest in investigating microglial migration that results in cell accumulation at focal sites of injury. Here we describe a protocol for rapidly triggering and monitoring microglial migration by using a micropipette assay. This protocol is an adaptation of the axon turning assay using microglial cells. Chemoattractants released from the micropipette tip produce a chemotactic gradient that induces robust microglial migration. In combination with microscopic imaging, this assay allows simultaneous recording of cell movement and subcellular compartment trafficking, along with quantitative analysis. The actual handling time for the assay takes ∼2-3 h in total. The protocol is simple, inexpensive and convenient to set up, and it can be adopted to examine cell migration in multiple cell types, including cancer cells with a wide range of chemical signals.
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| http://dx.doi.org/10.1038/nprot.2014.015 | DOI Listing |
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