MorphData: Automating the data extraction process of morphological features of microglial cells in ImageJ

Abstract

Microglial cells are the first line of defense within the central nervous system, with morphological characterization being widely used to define their activation status. Most methods to evaluate microglia status are manual, and, therefore, often biased, inaccurate, and time consuming. In fact, the process to collect morphological data starts with the acquisition of photomicrographs from where images of single cells are extracted. Then, the researcher collects the morphological features that characterize each cell. However, a manual data collection process from single cells can take weeks to complete. This work describes an open-source ImageJ plugin, MorphData, which automatizes the data extraction process of morphological features of single microglial cells. The plugin collects, processes, and organizes features associated with cell complexity and ramification. In a computer with limited computing power, MorphData was able to handle 699 single cells in less than 14 minutes. The same process, if performed manually, would take almost 19 working days. Overall, MorphData significantly reduces the time taken to collect morphological data from microglial cells, which can then be used to study, understand, and characterize microglia behavior in the brain of human patients or of animal models of neurological and psychiatric diseases.