Effects of depletion of Irf8 and Mafb on gene expression of adult microglia and CNS border associtated macrophages (CAMs)

The central nervous system (CNS) includes anatomically distinct macrophage populations including parenchyma microglia and CNS-associated macrophages (CAMs). The stepwise development and specification of macrophage populations in the CNS rely on several key transcription factors, such as IRF8 and MAFB. In order to better understand the roles of IRF8 and MAFB for phenotypic determination of homeostatic microglia and CAMs, we performed quantitative bulk RNA sequencing of microglia and CAMs isolated from mouse models with myeloid cell-specific deletion of IRF8 or MAFB transcription factors. We found the distinct transcriptional machinery, mediated by IRF8 and MAFB, which underlies the diversity of macrophages in the CNS.