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- Title
Immune Quiescence of the Brain Is Set by Astroglial Connexin 43.
- Authors
Boulay, Anne-Cécile; Mazeraud, Aurélien; Cisternino, Salvatore; Saubaméa, Bruno; Mailly, Phillipe; Jourdren, Laurent; Blugeon, Corinne; Mignon, Virginie; Smirnova, Maria; Cavallo, Alessia; Ezan, Pascal; Avé, Patrick; Dingli, Florent; Loew, Damarys; Vieira, Paulo; Chrétien, Fabrice; Cohen-Salmon, Martine
- Abstract
In the normal brain, immune cell trafficking and immune responses are strictly controlled and limited. This unique homeostatic equilibrium, also called brain immune quiescence, is crucial to maintaining proper brain functions and is altered in various pathological processes, from chronic immunopathological disorders to cognitive and psychiatric impairments. To date, the precise nature of factors regulating the brain/immune system interrelationship is poorly understood. In the present study, we demonstrate that one of these regulating factors is Connexin 43 (C×43), a gap junction protein highly expressed by astrocytes at the blood-brain barrier (BBB) interface. We show that, by setting the activated state of cerebral endothelium, astroglial C×43 controls immune recruitment as well as antigen presentation mechanisms in the mouse brain. Consequently, in the absence of astroglial C×43, recruited immune cells elaborate a specific humoral autoimmune response against the von Willebrand factor A domain-containing protein 5a, an extracellular matrix protein of the brain. Altogether, our results demonstrate that C×43 is a new astroglial factor promoting the immune quiescence of the brain.
- Subjects
BRAIN immunology; BLOOD-brain barrier; ASTROCYTES; CONNEXIN 43; IMMUNOPATHOLOGY; AUTOIMMUNITY; PHYSIOLOGY
- Publication
Journal of Neuroscience, 2015, Vol 35, Issue 10, p4427
- ISSN
0270-6474
- Publication type
Article
- DOI
10.1523/JNEUROSCI.2575-14.2015