Cannabinoid receptor 1 deficiency alters expression of stress-related genes in microglia

Microglia (CD11b+ cells) were isolated from brain tissue of stress-naïve wild type and CB1-deficient (Cnr1-/-) mice using magnetic cell separation and gene expression analysed using 3' mRNA sequencing. Differential gene expression showed that Cnr1-/- microglial transcriptomes do not fundamentally differ from those of wild type controls. Only seven differentilly expressed genes remained significant after correcting for multiple testing. The top hit was Fkbp5 (encoding FK506 binding protein 5 (FKBP5), a regulator of glucocorticoid receptor activity. Overall design: Microglial mRNA profiles of wild type and CB1-deficient (Cnr1-/-) mice