Figure 4.

Inducible Aurkb ablation in adult mice impairs microglial homeostasis

(A–F) Adult Aurkb^fl/fl and Cx3cr1^CreERT2/+Aurkb^fl/fl littermates (8-week-old) were i.p. injected with TAM for 5 consecutive days, followed by tissue collection at 1-month and 3-month post TAM induction. Representative immunofluorescence and quantification of microglial density (Iba-1⁺) across CNS regions at A) 1-month and D) 3-month post-tamoxifen induction (n = 5 mice per genotype, Scale bars: 50 μm). The morphology analysis of microglial processes and branch intersections by combined Sholl, skeletal, and fractal analysis. (B–C) 1-month and e-f) 3-month post-TAM induction (n = 5 mice per genotype, Scale bars: 10 μm). Data are presented as the mean ± SD. two-way ANOVA with Bonferroni multiple comparisons test in (A and D); linear mixed-effects models for continuous data and negative binomial generalized linear mixed-effects models for count data, with repeated measures from the same mouse accounted for as a random effect, followed by Tukey-adjusted pairwise tests in (C–F); ∗p < 0.05, ∗∗p < 0.01, and ∗∗∗p < 0.001; ns, not significant compared with the Aurkb^fl/fl group. See also Figure S4.