{"status":"ok","message-type":"work","message-version":"1.0.0","message":{"indexed":{"date-parts":[[2026,7,8]],"date-time":"2026-07-08T04:17:46Z","timestamp":1783484266925,"version":"3.55.0"},"reference-count":54,"publisher":"MDPI AG","issue":"2","license":[{"start":{"date-parts":[[2026,2,4]],"date-time":"2026-02-04T00:00:00Z","timestamp":1770163200000},"content-version":"vor","delay-in-days":0,"URL":"https:\/\/creativecommons.org\/licenses\/by\/4.0\/"}],"funder":[{"DOI":"10.13039\/501100001659","name":"DFG","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","award":["SP 1555\/2-3"],"award-info":[{"award-number":["SP 1555\/2-3"]}],"id":[{"id":"10.13039\/501100001659","id-type":"DOI","asserted-by":"publisher"}]}],"content-domain":{"domain":[],"crossmark-restriction":false},"short-container-title":["Biomolecules"],"abstract":"<jats:p>Aging and Alzheimer\u2019s disease (AD) are associated with profound changes in glial cell morphology and signaling. This study investigates the three-dimensional morphology of microglia and the intracellular localization of phosphorylated SMAD proteins as downstream effectors of transforming growth factor \u03b2 (TGF-\u03b2) signaling in the amyloid precursor protein and presenilin-1 (APP\/PS1) transgenic mouse model of Alzheimer\u2019s disease. Using confocal microscopy and Simple Neurite Tracer software, we reconstructed and quantitatively analyzed glial cell morphology in aged wild-type and APP\/PS1 mice. Immunofluorescence staining revealed altered pSMAD2 distribution in microglia, suggesting impaired canonical TGF-\u03b2 signaling. Our findings indicate a disturbed glial morphology and dysfunctional TGF-\u03b2 signaling cascade in the APP\/PS1 model, underlining their potential role in Alzheimer\u2019s disease pathogenesis.<\/jats:p>","DOI":"10.3390\/biom16020248","type":"journal-article","created":{"date-parts":[[2026,2,4]],"date-time":"2026-02-04T10:02:57Z","timestamp":1770199377000},"page":"248","update-policy":"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.3390\/mdpi_crossmark_policy","source":"Crossref","is-referenced-by-count":1,"title":["Impaired TGF\u03b2 Signaling in Plaque-Associated Microglia"],"prefix":"10.3390","volume":"16","author":[{"given":"Oliver","family":"Krzyzan","sequence":"first","affiliation":[{"name":"Institute of Anatomy, Rostock Medical Centre, Rostock University, 18057 Rostock, Germany"},{"name":"Institute of Diagnostic Radiology and Neuroradiology, University Medicine Greifswald, Greifswald University, 17475 Greifswald, Germany"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0002-7618-7663","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Angela","family":"Kuhla","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Rudolf-Zenker Institute of Experimental Surgery, Rostock Medical Centre, Rostock University, 18057 Rostock, Germany"},{"name":"Centre for Transdisciplinary Neurosciences Rostock (CTNR), Rostock Medical Center, Rostock University, 18147 Rostock, Germany"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0001-5423-0571","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Bj\u00f6rn","family":"Spittau","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Bielefeld University, Medical School OWL, Anatomy and Cell Biology, 33615 Bielefeld, Germany"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0002-1426-7625","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Natascha","family":"Vidovic","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Bielefeld University, Medical School OWL, Anatomy and Cell Biology, 33615 Bielefeld, Germany"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]}],"member":"1968","published-online":{"date-parts":[[2026,2,4]]},"reference":[{"key":"ref_1","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"339","DOI":"10.1002\/JLB.3MIR0220-270R","article-title":"Complement: Bridging the Innate and Adaptive Immune Systems in Sterile Inflammation","volume":"108","author":"Lo","year":"2020","journal-title":"J. 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