Shape in microglia. B. Series of images at 0, 40 and 80 minutes showing Tat-MyD88 blocked the amoeboid shape change normally induced by LPS. C. Representative images of single microglia following individual treatments. D. Quantification of the number of 22948146 branches of microglia following treatment. doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0060388.gthe first indications that LPS application (t = 0) 52232-67-4 changed microglia morphology from the typical branched and ramified morphology (Figure 3A), and by 40 minutes, the majority of branches were lost and the cells were amoeboid (Movie S1). The amoeboid morphology of microglia persisted throughout the remainder of imaging (80 minutes). In comparison, when 3PO price slices were preincubated with Tat-MyD88 or Tat-TLR4, the transition from ramified to amoeboid characterized by branch loss was notobserved at either 40 or 80 minutes following LPS treatment (40 mg/mL; Figure 3B). The inhibitory effects of the Tatinterfering peptides on microglia morphology changes was quantified in a separate set of experiments by analysing the number of branches in three dimensional reconstructions using Imaris software of individual microglia (n = 21 cells per group). One way ANOVA demonstrated a significant main effect of treatment (F4,104 = 212.88, p = ,.001). The number of branchesMicroglia and Sickness Behaviorin microglia were significantly reduced by LPS (Figure 3C, D; control = 187.5629.5 branches, LPS = 78.5617.5 branches; p = 0.011). This morphological transformation was blocked by pre-incubation with either Tat-MyD88 or Tat-TLR4, and was not significantly different from control (Figure 3C, D; p = 0.722 and p = 0.369 respectively). In contrast, microglia in brain slices preincubated with Tat-scram, showed a change in branch number induced by LPS 
that was similar to LPS treated slices (Figure 3D; Tat-scram = 
43.564.5 branches; p = 0.04). The ability of Tat-MyD88 and Tat-TLR4 to prevent many of the cellular actions of LPS such as second messenger stimulation, cytokine formation and transformations of microglia to amoeboid shapes encouraged us to test their effectiveness at treating LPSinduced sickness behavior. We began by assessing mice given LPS (0.5 mg/kg) or LPS (0.5 mg/kg) plus peptide treatments (6 mg/kg) on a number of basic behavioral indices of sickness including reflexive or motor and motivational or hedonic functions (Table S1). Mice were scored for the extent to which they displayed each of the 11 indices of sickness and a cumulative score was 15755315 calculated (n = 10 mice per group). One way ANOVA demonstrated a significant main effect of treatment (F5,59 = 597.53, p = ,.001). Control mice scored in the lowest category on each of the measures of sickness, with an average cumulative score of 0.50 (60.40; Figure 4A). In contrast, mice assessed 30 minutes after LPS treatment scored high on each of the measures, with a cumulative score averaging 19.90 (60.84) that differed significantly from control mice (p,.001). Similar results were observed for mice pre-treated with the Tat-scram peptide and LPS (21.6760.24) compared to control mice (p,.001). When mice were pre-treated with either Tat-MyD88 or Tat-TLR4 peptides, we observed a remarkable prevention of LPS-induced sickness as reflected in the cumulative behavioral scores (TatMyD88:0.7060.26; Tat-TLR4:1.8060.20), which did not differ from control mice (p = .752 and p = .107). To evaluate LPS-induced sickness behavior and the effectiveness of the Tat fused interfering peptides further,.Shape in microglia. B. Series of images at 0, 40 and 80 minutes showing Tat-MyD88 blocked the amoeboid shape change normally induced by LPS. C. Representative images of single microglia following individual treatments. D. Quantification of the number of 22948146 branches of microglia following treatment. doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0060388.gthe first indications that LPS application (t = 0) changed microglia morphology from the typical branched and ramified morphology (Figure 3A), and by 40 minutes, the majority of branches were lost and the cells were amoeboid (Movie S1). The amoeboid morphology of microglia persisted throughout the remainder of imaging (80 minutes). In comparison, when slices were preincubated with Tat-MyD88 or Tat-TLR4, the transition from ramified to amoeboid characterized by branch loss was notobserved at either 40 or 80 minutes following LPS treatment (40 mg/mL; Figure 3B). The inhibitory effects of the Tatinterfering peptides on microglia morphology changes was quantified in a separate set of experiments by analysing the number of branches in three dimensional reconstructions using Imaris software of individual microglia (n = 21 cells per group). One way ANOVA demonstrated a significant main effect of treatment (F4,104 = 212.88, p = ,.001). The number of branchesMicroglia and Sickness Behaviorin microglia were significantly reduced by LPS (Figure 3C, D; control = 187.5629.5 branches, LPS = 78.5617.5 branches; p = 0.011). This morphological transformation was blocked by pre-incubation with either Tat-MyD88 or Tat-TLR4, and was not significantly different from control (Figure 3C, D; p = 0.722 and p = 0.369 respectively). In contrast, microglia in brain slices preincubated with Tat-scram, showed a change in branch number induced by LPS that was similar to LPS treated slices (Figure 3D; Tat-scram = 43.564.5 branches; p = 0.04). The ability of Tat-MyD88 and Tat-TLR4 to prevent many of the cellular actions of LPS such as second messenger stimulation, cytokine formation and transformations of microglia to amoeboid shapes encouraged us to test their effectiveness at treating LPSinduced sickness behavior. We began by assessing mice given LPS (0.5 mg/kg) or LPS (0.5 mg/kg) plus peptide treatments (6 mg/kg) on a number of basic behavioral indices of sickness including reflexive or motor and motivational or hedonic functions (Table S1). Mice were scored for the extent to which they displayed each of the 11 indices of sickness and a cumulative score was 15755315 calculated (n = 10 mice per group). One way ANOVA demonstrated a significant main effect of treatment (F5,59 = 597.53, p = ,.001). Control mice scored in the lowest category on each of the measures of sickness, with an average cumulative score of 0.50 (60.40; Figure 4A). In contrast, mice assessed 30 minutes after LPS treatment scored high on each of the measures, with a cumulative score averaging 19.90 (60.84) that differed significantly from control mice (p,.001). Similar results were observed for mice pre-treated with the Tat-scram peptide and LPS (21.6760.24) compared to control mice (p,.001). When mice were pre-treated with either Tat-MyD88 or Tat-TLR4 peptides, we observed a remarkable prevention of LPS-induced sickness as reflected in the cumulative behavioral scores (TatMyD88:0.7060.26; Tat-TLR4:1.8060.20), which did not differ from control mice (p = .752 and p = .107). To evaluate LPS-induced sickness behavior and the effectiveness of the Tat fused interfering peptides further,.