There are various approaches in which one can isolate microglia from murine brains, such as immunomagnetic, density gradient, FACS and differential adhesive methods. In this procedure a modified flask-tapping approach was used due to its simplicity and reproducibility. Our protocol requires only a single step to isolate the microglia from the mixed cell population. Once the microglia were isolated, we characterized cell purity, microglial morphology and phagocytic activity. The single-step protocol, without the need for additional astrocyte or oligodendrocyte separation, allows microglial cells to be used immediately for experimental purposes. The protocol is low-cost and can be performed in any lab with standard cell-culture equipment.
Keywords: flow cytometry; fluorescence; microglia; primary cell; tissue culture.