Interneuron-like features of microglia in the mouse outer retina

Microglia have recently been associated with complex functionalities both in the brain and the retina, including in synaptic function and plasticity. While investigating the morphology, protein expression profile and connectivity of microglia in the mouse outer retina, we have found that they closely resemble interneurons in the outer retina of other species. We argue that functional studies are needed to reveal whether they also perform an interneuron-like role in vision.