Schizophrenia-associated complement C4 impairs synaptic connectivity and decreases microglia-synapse interactions through CR3 signaling - PubMed
7 hours ago
- #complement system
- #microglia
- #schizophrenia
- High-expression variants of complement C4 gene increase schizophrenia risk.
- C4 overexpression (C4-OE) in mouse frontal cortex lowers synapse density and mimics schizophrenia phenotypes.
- C4-OE effects on synapse density and function are rescued in CR3-deficient mice, indicating CR3 involvement.
- C4-OE reduces microglial surveilled volume, motility, and contacts with synaptic structures, contrary to excessive elimination models.
- CR3 deficiency abolishes microglial changes, suggesting CR3 mediates microglia-synapse interaction modulation in schizophrenia.