Multicolor fate mapping of microglia reveals polyclonal proliferation, heterogeneity, and cell-cell interactions after ischemic stroke in mice

Majed Kikhia, Simone Schilling, Marie-Louise Herzog, Michelle Livne, Marcus Semtner, Tuan Leng Tay, Marco Prinz, Helmut Kettenmann, Matthias Endres, Golo Kronenberg, Ria Göttert and Karen Gertz ()
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Majed Kikhia: Department of Neurology with Experimental Neurology
Simone Schilling: Department of Neurology with Experimental Neurology
Marie-Louise Herzog: Department of Neurology with Experimental Neurology
Michelle Livne: Department of Neurosurgery, Predictive Modelling in Medicine Research Group
Marcus Semtner: Max-Delbrück-Center for Molecular Medicine in the Helmholtz Association
Tuan Leng Tay: Boston University
Marco Prinz: University of Freiburg
Helmut Kettenmann: Max-Delbrück-Center for Molecular Medicine in the Helmholtz Association
Matthias Endres: Department of Neurology with Experimental Neurology
Golo Kronenberg: Department of Neurology with Experimental Neurology
Ria Göttert: Department of Neurology with Experimental Neurology
Karen Gertz: Department of Neurology with Experimental Neurology

Nature Communications, 2025, vol. 16, issue 1, 1-16

Abstract: Abstract Microglial proliferation is a principal element of the inflammatory response to brain ischemia. However, the precise proliferation dynamics, phenotype acquisition, and functional consequences of newly emerging microglia are not yet understood. Using multicolor fate mapping and computational methods, we here demonstrate that microglia exhibit polyclonal proliferation in the ischemic lesion of female mice. The peak number of clones occurs at 14 days, while the largest clones are observed at 4 weeks post-stroke. Whole-cell patch-clamp recordings of microglia reveal a homogeneous acute response to ischemia with a pattern of outward and inward currents that evolves over time. In the resolution phase, 8 weeks post-stroke, microglial cells within one clone share similar membrane properties, while neighboring microglia from different clones display more heterogeneous electrophysiological profiles. Super-resolution microscopy and live-cell imaging unmask various forms of cell-cell interactions between microglial cells from different clones. Overall, this study demonstrates the polyclonal proliferation of microglia after cerebral ischemia and suggests that clonality contributes to their functional heterogeneity. Thus, targeting clones with specific functional phenotypes may have potential for future therapeutic modulation of microglia after stroke.

Date: 2025
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DOI: 10.1038/s41467-025-63949-3

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