Transcriptional profiling of microglia lacking Smad2/3. Transcriptional profiling of microglia lacking Smad2/3

Smad2/3 are canonical effector of TGFb signaling. This pathway is essential for microglial differentiation. We isolated Smad2/3-deficient microglia from mice and determined their transcriptional profiles. By comparing to control microglia, we observed changes in the expression of genes involved in macrophage function and lipid metabolism, which is consistent with the importance of these processes in microglial homeostasis. since microglia lacking Smad2/3 show an activated phenotype, these results provide insights into the transcriptional regulation of microglial function. Overall design: We FACS-sorted microglia from brains of 4 mice lacking Smad2/3 in microglia and 4 wild-type littermates at P60.