Mounting evidence indicates that microglia, which are the resident immune cells of the brain, play critical roles in a diverse array of neurodevelopmental processes required for proper brain maturation and function. This evidence has ultimately led to growing speculation that microglial dysfunction may play a role in neurodevelopmental disorder (NDD) pathoetiology. In this review, we first provide an overview of how microglia mechanistically contribute to the sculpting of the developing brain and neuronal circuits. To provide an example of how disruption of microglial biology impacts NDD development, we also highlight emerging evidence that has linked microglial dysregulation to autism spectrum disorder pathogenesis. In recent years, there has been increasing interest in how the gut microbiome shapes microglial biology. In the last section of this review, we put a spotlight on this burgeoning area of microglial research and discuss how microbiota-dependent modulation of microglial biology is currently thought to influence NDD progression.

中文翻译：

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小胶质细胞和神经发育障碍

越来越多的证据表明，小胶质细胞是大脑的常驻免疫细胞，在大脑正常成熟和功能所需的各种神经发育过程中发挥着关键作用。这一证据最终导致人们越来越多地猜测小胶质细胞功能障碍可能在神经发育障碍（NDD）病理学中发挥作用。在这篇综述中，我们首先概述了小胶质细胞如何机械地促进发育中的大脑和神经元回路的塑造。为了提供小胶质细胞生物学破坏如何影响 NDD 发展的例子，我们还强调了将小胶质细胞失调与自闭症谱系障碍发病机制联系起来的新证据。近年来，人们对肠道微生物组如何塑造小胶质细胞生物学越来越感兴趣。在本综述的最后一部分，我们重点关注小胶质细胞研究这一新兴领域，并讨论目前认为小胶质细胞生物学的微生物依赖调节如何影响 NDD 进展。