Investigating Microglial Ultrastructural Alterations and Intimate Relationships with Neuronal Stress, Dystrophy, and Degeneration in Mouse Models of Alzheimer's Disease

Abstract

In recent decades, microglia have taken the field of neuroscience by storm, with numerous studies identifying key roles for these cells in the pathophysiology of neurodegenerative conditions, such as Alzheimer's disease (AD). The heterogeneity of these cells (e.g., the presence of various subtypes like the disease-associated microglia, microglia associated with neurodegeneration, dark microglia, lipid droplet-accumulating microglia), and their ultrastructural alterations arising from environmental challenges have become a central focus of recent studies. Dark microglia are electron-dense cells defined by their ultrastructural markers of cellular stress using electron microscopy (EM). In this protocol, we first describe the steps required for proper brain tissue preparation for EM experiments. Ultrastructural analysis of microglia and neurons/synapses in AD mouse models is also detailed, using transmission or scanning EM. We next explain how to characterize several ultrastructural markers of cellular stress, dystrophy or degeneration, in microglia and neurons/synapses, with relation to amyloid beta plaques.

Keywords: Alzheimer’s disease; Dark microglia; Dystrophy; Electron microscopy; Microglia; Mouse models; Synaptic loss; Ultrastructure.