Microglial Ramification, Surveillance, and Interleukin-1β Release Are Regulated by the Two-Pore Domain K+ Channel THIK-1

Microglia survey the brain for invading micro-organisms, remove dying neurons, and prune synapses during development. We show that maintenance of the microglial resting potential by THIK-1 K+ channels is essential for maintaining microglial ramification, surveillance, and interleukin-1β release.