Microglial Phagocytosis During Embryonic and Postnatal Development

Microglia play decisive roles during the development of the central nervous system (CNS). Phagocytosis is one of the classical functions attributed to microglia, being involved in nearly all phases of the embryonic and postnatal development of the brain, such as rapid clearance of cell debris to avoid an inflammatory response, controlling the number of neuronal and glial cells or their precursors, contribution to axon guidance and to refinement of synaptic connections. To carry out all these tasks, microglial cells are equipped with a panoply of receptors, that convert microglia to the “professional phagocytes” of the nervous parenchyma. These receptors are modulated by spatiotemporal cues that adapt the properties of microglia to the needs of the developing CNS. Thus, in this chapter, we will discuss the role of microglial phagocytosis in all the aforementioned processes. First, we will explain the general phagocytic process, to describe afterward the performance of microglial cells in detail.