TREM2 deficiency delays postnatal microglial maturation and synaptic pruning, leading to anxiety-like behaviors.
Yang HC, Deng YS, Zhang J, Zhang T, Song W et al.
J Alzheimers Dis 2026
BackgroundThe postnatal maturation of microglia is essential for neural circuit refinement, yet its molecular regulators remain incompletely defined. TREM2, a key Alzheimer's disease risk gene, is implicated in microglial function, but its role in developmental timing is unclear.ObjectiveTo determine whether TREM2 regulates the postnatal maturation of microglia and to assess the cellular, molecular, and behavioral consequences of TREM2 deficiency.MethodsWe performed longitudinal transcriptomic profiling of