1
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Baldwin KT, Murai KK, Khakh BS. Astrocyte morphology. Trends Cell Biol 2024; 34:547-565. [PMID: 38180380 DOI: 10.1016/j.tcb.2023.09.006] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/13/2023] [Revised: 09/18/2023] [Accepted: 09/29/2023] [Indexed: 01/06/2024]
Abstract
Astrocytes are predominant glial cells that tile the central nervous system (CNS). A cardinal feature of astrocytes is their complex and visually enchanting morphology, referred to as bushy, spongy, and star-like. A central precept of this review is that such complex morphological shapes evolved to allow astrocytes to contact and signal with diverse cells at a range of distances in order to sample, regulate, and contribute to the extracellular milieu, and thus participate widely in cell-cell signaling during physiology and disease. The recent use of improved imaging methods and cell-specific molecular evaluations has revealed new information on the structural organization and molecular underpinnings of astrocyte morphology, the mechanisms of astrocyte morphogenesis, and the contributions to disease states of reduced morphology. These insights have reignited interest in astrocyte morphological complexity as a cornerstone of fundamental glial biology and as a critical substrate for multicellular spatial and physiological interactions in the CNS.
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Affiliation(s)
- Katherine T Baldwin
- Neuroscience Center, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, NC 27599, USA; Department of Cell Biology and Physiology, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, NC 27599, USA.
| | - Keith K Murai
- Centre for Research in Neuroscience, Department of Neurology and Neurosurgery, Brain Repair and Integrative Neuroscience Program, The Research Institute of the McGill University Health Centre, Montreal General Hospital, 1650 Cedar Avenue, Montreal, QC H3G 1A4, Canada.
| | - Baljit S Khakh
- Department of Physiology, David Geffen School of Medicine, University of California Los Angeles, 10833 Le Conte Avenue, Los Angeles, CA 90034, USA; Department of Neurobiology, David Geffen School of Medicine, University of California Los Angeles, 10833 Le Conte Avenue, Los Angeles, CA 90034, USA.
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2
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Naghieh P, Delavar A, Amiri M, Peremans H. Astrocyte's self-repairing characteristics improve working memory in spiking neuronal networks. iScience 2023; 26:108241. [PMID: 38047076 PMCID: PMC10692671 DOI: 10.1016/j.isci.2023.108241] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/08/2023] [Revised: 08/23/2023] [Accepted: 10/15/2023] [Indexed: 12/05/2023] Open
Abstract
Astrocytes play a significant role in the working memory (WM) mechanism, yet their contribution to spiking neuron-astrocyte networks (SNAN) is underexplored. This study proposes a non-probabilistic SNAN incorporating a self-repairing (SR) mechanism through endocannabinoid pathways to facilitate WM function. Four experiments were conducted with different damaging patterns, replicating close-to-realistic synaptic impairments. Simulation results suggest that the SR process enhances WM performance by improving the consistency of neuronal firing. Moreover, the intercellular astrocytic [Ca]2+ transmission via gap junctions improves WM and SR processes. With increasing damage, WM and SR activities initially fail for non-matched samples and then for smaller and minimally overlapping matched samples. Simulation results also indicate that the inclusion of the SR mechanism in both random and continuous forms of damage improves the resilience of the WM by approximately 20%. This study highlights the importance of astrocytes in synaptically impaired networks.
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Affiliation(s)
- Pedram Naghieh
- Medical Technology Research Center, Institute of Health Technology, Kermanshah University of Medical Sciences, Kermanshah, Iran
| | - Abolfazl Delavar
- Medical Technology Research Center, Institute of Health Technology, Kermanshah University of Medical Sciences, Kermanshah, Iran
| | - Mahmood Amiri
- Medical Technology Research Center, Institute of Health Technology, Kermanshah University of Medical Sciences, Kermanshah, Iran
- Department of Engineering Management, University of Antwerp, Antwerp, Belgium
| | - Herbert Peremans
- Department of Engineering Management, University of Antwerp, Antwerp, Belgium
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3
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Liu Y, Shen X, Zhang Y, Zheng X, Cepeda C, Wang Y, Duan S, Tong X. Interactions of glial cells with neuronal synapses, from astrocytes to microglia and oligodendrocyte lineage cells. Glia 2023; 71:1383-1401. [PMID: 36799296 DOI: 10.1002/glia.24343] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 21.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/09/2022] [Revised: 01/06/2023] [Accepted: 01/08/2023] [Indexed: 02/18/2023]
Abstract
The mammalian brain is a complex organ comprising neurons, glia, and more than 1 × 1014 synapses. Neurons are a heterogeneous group of electrically active cells, which form the framework of the complex circuitry of the brain. However, glial cells, which are primarily divided into astrocytes, microglia, oligodendrocytes (OLs), and oligodendrocyte precursor cells (OPCs), constitute approximately half of all neural cells in the mammalian central nervous system (CNS) and mainly provide nutrition and tropic support to neurons in the brain. In the last two decades, the concept of "tripartite synapses" has drawn great attention, which emphasizes that astrocytes are an integral part of the synapse and regulate neuronal activity in a feedback manner after receiving neuronal signals. Since then, synaptic modulation by glial cells has been extensively studied and substantially revised. In this review, we summarize the latest significant findings on how glial cells, in particular, microglia and OL lineage cells, impact and remodel the structure and function of synapses in the brain. Our review highlights the cellular and molecular aspects of neuron-glia crosstalk and provides additional information on how aberrant synaptic communication between neurons and glia may contribute to neural pathologies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yao Liu
- Songjiang Institute and Songjiang Hospital, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai, China.,Department of Anatomy and Physiology, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai, China
| | - Xi Shen
- Songjiang Institute and Songjiang Hospital, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai, China.,Department of Anatomy and Physiology, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai, China
| | - Yuhan Zhang
- College of Basic Medical Science, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai, China
| | - Xiaoli Zheng
- Songjiang Institute and Songjiang Hospital, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai, China.,Department of Anatomy and Physiology, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai, China
| | - Carlos Cepeda
- Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities Research Center, David Geffen School of Medicine, University of California Los Angeles, Los Angeles, California, USA
| | - Yao Wang
- Department of Assisted Reproduction, The Ninth People's Hospital, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai, China
| | - Shumin Duan
- Songjiang Institute and Songjiang Hospital, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai, China.,Liangzhu Laboratory, MOE Frontier Science Center for Brain Science and Brain-Machine Integration, State Key Laboratory of Brain-Machine Intelligence, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, China
| | - Xiaoping Tong
- Songjiang Institute and Songjiang Hospital, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai, China.,Department of Anatomy and Physiology, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai, China.,Shanghai Research Center for Brain Science and Brain-Inspired Intelligence, Shanghai, China
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4
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Kruyer A, Kalivas PW, Scofield MD. Astrocyte regulation of synaptic signaling in psychiatric disorders. Neuropsychopharmacology 2023; 48:21-36. [PMID: 35577914 PMCID: PMC9700696 DOI: 10.1038/s41386-022-01338-w] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 21.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/05/2022] [Revised: 04/27/2022] [Accepted: 05/01/2022] [Indexed: 02/07/2023]
Abstract
Over the last 15 years, the field of neuroscience has evolved toward recognizing the critical role of astroglia in shaping neuronal synaptic activity and along with the pre- and postsynapse is now considered an equal partner in tripartite synaptic transmission and plasticity. The relative youth of this recognition and a corresponding deficit in reagents and technologies for quantifying and manipulating astroglia relative to neurons continues to hamper advances in understanding tripartite synaptic physiology. Nonetheless, substantial advances have been made and are reviewed herein. We review the role of astroglia in synaptic function and regulation of behavior with an eye on how tripartite synapses figure into brain pathologies underlying behavioral impairments in psychiatric disorders, both from the perspective of measures in postmortem human brains and more subtle influences on tripartite synaptic regulation of behavior in animal models of psychiatric symptoms. Our goal is to provide the reader a well-referenced state-of-the-art understanding of current knowledge and predict what we may discover with deeper investigation of tripartite synapses using reagents and technologies not yet available.
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Affiliation(s)
- Anna Kruyer
- Department of Neuroscience, Medical University of South Carolina, Charleston, SC, USA
| | - Peter W Kalivas
- Department of Neuroscience, Medical University of South Carolina, Charleston, SC, USA.
- Ralph H. Johnson Veterans Affairs Medical Center, Charleston, SC, USA.
| | - Michael D Scofield
- Department of Neuroscience, Medical University of South Carolina, Charleston, SC, USA.
- Department of Anesthesia & Perioperative Medicine, Medical University of South Carolina, Charleston, SC, USA.
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5
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Goenaga J, Araque A, Kofuji P, Herrera Moro Chao D. Calcium signaling in astrocytes and gliotransmitter release. Front Synaptic Neurosci 2023; 15:1138577. [PMID: 36937570 PMCID: PMC10017551 DOI: 10.3389/fnsyn.2023.1138577] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 17.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/05/2023] [Accepted: 02/16/2023] [Indexed: 03/06/2023] Open
Abstract
Glia are as numerous in the brain as neurons and widely known to serve supportive roles such as structural scaffolding, extracellular ionic and neurotransmitter homeostasis, and metabolic support. However, over the past two decades, several lines of evidence indicate that astrocytes, which are a type of glia, play active roles in neural information processing. Astrocytes, although not electrically active, can exhibit a form of excitability by dynamic changes in intracellular calcium levels. They sense synaptic activity and release neuroactive substances, named gliotransmitters, that modulate neuronal activity and synaptic transmission in several brain areas, thus impacting animal behavior. This "dialogue" between astrocytes and neurons is embodied in the concept of the tripartite synapse that includes astrocytes as integral elements of synaptic function. Here, we review the recent work and discuss how astrocytes via calcium-mediated excitability modulate synaptic information processing at various spatial and time scales.
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6
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Clavreul S, Dumas L, Loulier K. Astrocyte development in the cerebral cortex: Complexity of their origin, genesis, and maturation. Front Neurosci 2022; 16:916055. [PMID: 36177355 PMCID: PMC9513187 DOI: 10.3389/fnins.2022.916055] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/08/2022] [Accepted: 07/19/2022] [Indexed: 11/22/2022] Open
Abstract
In the mammalian brain, astrocytes form a heterogeneous population at the morphological, molecular, functional, intra-, and inter-region levels. In the past, a few types of astrocytes have been first described based on their morphology and, thereafter, according to limited key molecular markers. With the advent of bulk and single-cell transcriptomics, the diversity of astrocytes is now progressively deciphered and its extent better appreciated. However, the origin of this diversity remains unresolved, even though many recent studies unraveled the specificities of astroglial development at both population and individual cell levels, particularly in the cerebral cortex. Despite the lack of specific markers for each astrocyte subtype, a better understanding of the cellular and molecular events underlying cortical astrocyte diversity is nevertheless within our reach thanks to the development of intersectional lineage tracing, microdissection, spatial mapping, and single-cell transcriptomic tools. Here we present a brief overview describing recent findings on the genesis and maturation of astrocytes and their key regulators during cerebral cortex development. All these studies have considerably advanced our knowledge of cortical astrogliogenesis, which relies on a more complex mode of development than their neuronal counterparts, that undeniably impact astrocyte diversity in the cerebral cortex.
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7
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Reinforcing Interdisciplinary Collaborations to Unravel the Astrocyte "Calcium Code". J Mol Neurosci 2022; 72:1443-1455. [PMID: 35543801 PMCID: PMC9293817 DOI: 10.1007/s12031-022-02006-w] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/23/2021] [Accepted: 04/01/2022] [Indexed: 11/19/2022]
Abstract
In this review article, we present the major insights from and challenges faced in the acquisition, analysis and modeling of astrocyte calcium activity, aiming at bridging the gap between those fields to crack the complex astrocyte “Calcium Code”. We then propose strategies to reinforce interdisciplinary collaborative projects to unravel astrocyte function in health and disease.
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8
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Astrocytic Gap Junctions Contribute to Aberrant Neuronal Synchronization in a Mouse Model of MeCP2 Duplication Syndrome. Neurosci Bull 2022; 38:591-606. [PMID: 35147909 DOI: 10.1007/s12264-022-00824-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/28/2021] [Accepted: 12/07/2021] [Indexed: 10/19/2022] Open
Abstract
Abnormal synchronous neuronal activity has been widely detected by brain imaging of autistic patients, but its underlying neural mechanism remains unclear. Compared with wild-type mice, our in vivo two-photon imaging showed that transgenic (Tg1) mice over-expressing human autism risk gene MeCP2 exhibited higher neuronal synchrony in the young but lower synchrony in the adult stage. Whole-cell recording of neuronal pairs in brain slices revealed that higher neuronal synchrony in young postnatal Tg1 mice was attributed mainly to more prevalent giant slow inward currents (SICs). Both in vivo and slice imaging further demonstrated more dynamic activity and higher synchrony in astrocytes from young Tg1 mice. Blocking astrocytic gap junctions markedly decreased the generation of SICs and overall cell synchrony in the Tg1 brain. Furthermore, the expression level of Cx43 protein and the coupling efficiency of astrocyte gap junctions remained unchanged in Tg1 mice. Thus, astrocytic gap junctions facilitate but do not act as a direct trigger for the abnormal neuronal synchrony in young Tg1 mice, revealing the potential role of the astrocyte network in the pathogenesis of MeCP2 duplication syndrome.
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9
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Zhang H, Zhang X, Hong X, Tong X. Homogeneity or heterogeneity, the paradox of neurovascular pericytes in the brain. Glia 2021; 69:2474-2487. [PMID: 34152032 PMCID: PMC8453512 DOI: 10.1002/glia.24054] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/06/2021] [Revised: 05/25/2021] [Accepted: 06/11/2021] [Indexed: 11/11/2022]
Abstract
Pericytes are one of the main components of the neurovascular unit. They play a critical role in regulating blood flow, blood–brain barrier permeability, neuroinflammation, and neuronal activity. In the central nervous system (CNS), pericytes are classified into three subtypes, that is, ensheathing, mesh, and thin‐strand pericytes, based on their distinct morphologies and region‐specific distributions. However, whether these three types of pericytes exhibit heterogeneity or homogeneity with regard to membrane properties has been understudied to date. Here, we combined bulk RNA sequencing analysis with electrophysiological methods to demonstrate that the three subtypes of pericytes share similar electrical membrane properties in the CNS, suggesting a homogenous population of neurovascular pericytes in the brain. Furthermore, we identified an inwardly rectifying potassium channel subtype Kir4.1 functionally expressed in pericytes. Electrophysiological patch clamp recordings indicate that Kir4.1 channel currents in pericytes represent a small portion of the K+ macroscopic currents in physiological conditions. However, a significant augmentation of Kir4.1 currents in pericytes was induced when the extracellular K+ was elevated to pathological levels, suggesting pericytes Kir4.1 channels might play an important role as K+ sensors and contribute to K+ homeostasis in local neurovascular networks in pathology.
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Affiliation(s)
- Huimin Zhang
- Center for Brain Science of Shanghai Children's Medical Center, Department of Anatomy and Physiology, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai, China
| | - Xiao Zhang
- Center for Brain Science of Shanghai Children's Medical Center, Department of Anatomy and Physiology, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai, China
| | - Xiaoqi Hong
- Center for Brain Science of Shanghai Children's Medical Center, Department of Anatomy and Physiology, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai, China
| | - Xiaoping Tong
- Center for Brain Science of Shanghai Children's Medical Center, Department of Anatomy and Physiology, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai, China
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10
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Verisokin AY, Verveyko DV, Postnov DE, Brazhe AR. Modeling of Astrocyte Networks: Toward Realistic Topology and Dynamics. Front Cell Neurosci 2021; 15:645068. [PMID: 33746715 PMCID: PMC7973220 DOI: 10.3389/fncel.2021.645068] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/22/2020] [Accepted: 02/09/2021] [Indexed: 12/14/2022] Open
Abstract
Neuronal firing and neuron-to-neuron synaptic wiring are currently widely described as orchestrated by astrocytes—elaborately ramified glial cells tiling the cortical and hippocampal space into non-overlapping domains, each covering hundreds of individual dendrites and hundreds thousands synapses. A key component to astrocytic signaling is the dynamics of cytosolic Ca2+ which displays multiscale spatiotemporal patterns from short confined elemental Ca2+ events (puffs) to Ca2+ waves expanding through many cells. Here, we synthesize the current understanding of astrocyte morphology, coupling local synaptic activity to astrocytic Ca2+ in perisynaptic astrocytic processes and morphology-defined mechanisms of Ca2+ regulation in a distributed model. To this end, we build simplified realistic data-driven spatial network templates and compile model equations as defined by local cell morphology. The input to the model is spatially uncorrelated stochastic synaptic activity. The proposed modeling approach is validated by statistics of simulated Ca2+ transients at a single cell level. In multicellular templates we observe regular sequences of cell entrainment in Ca2+ waves, as a result of interplay between stochastic input and morphology variability between individual astrocytes. Our approach adds spatial dimension to the existing astrocyte models by employment of realistic morphology while retaining enough flexibility and scalability to be embedded in multiscale heterocellular models of neural tissue. We conclude that the proposed approach provides a useful description of neuron-driven Ca2+-activity in the astrocyte syncytium.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Darya V Verveyko
- Department of Theoretical Physics, Kursk State University, Kursk, Russia
| | - Dmitry E Postnov
- Department of Optics and Biophotonics, Saratov State University, Saratov, Russia
| | - Alexey R Brazhe
- Department of Biophysics, Biological Faculty, Lomonosov Moscow State University, Moscow, Russia.,Department of Molecular Neurobiology, Institute of Bioorganic Chemistry RAS, Russian Federation, Moscow, Russia
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11
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Deciphering the star codings: astrocyte manipulation alters mouse behavior. Exp Mol Med 2020; 52:1028-1038. [PMID: 32665584 PMCID: PMC8080576 DOI: 10.1038/s12276-020-0468-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/24/2019] [Revised: 04/30/2020] [Accepted: 06/08/2020] [Indexed: 01/11/2023] Open
Abstract
Astrocytes occupy a vast area within the central nervous system (CNS). Despite their abundance, the functional role of astrocytes in vivo has only begun to be uncovered. Astrocytes were typically thought to be involved in pathophysiological states. However, recent studies have shown that astrocytes are actively involved in cell signaling in normal physiological states; manipulating various aspects of astrocytic cell signaling in vivo has revealed that astrocytes are key players in controlling healthy behavior in the absence of pathophysiology. Unfortunately, the study of astrocyte function is often limited by the number of approaches available due to our lack of understanding of cell physiology. This review summarizes recent studies in which altered astrocyte signaling capacity resulted in dramatic changes in behavior. We not only discuss the methodologies available to manipulate astrocytes but also provide insights into the behavioral roles of astrocytes in the CNS. Genetic studies provide increased evidence that astrocytes, star-shaped cells in the central nervous system, play important roles affecting behavior in mammals. Although they are just as abundant as neurons, astrocytes are not excited by electrical signals. For this reason they have traditionally been regarded simply as ‘support cells’ for neurons, but recent evidence suggests that they can significantly modulate neuron signals. A review paper by Keebum Park and Sung Joong Lee at Seoul National University in South Korea highlights improved methods for monitoring the signaling processes related to astrocytes, which manifest most notably through sharp changes in calcium levels. Several studies have used genetic knockout mice, designer drugs and light-sensitive proteins to change astrocyte activity, affecting a diverse range of behaviors including sleeping and feeding patterns, memory formation, depression and obsessive compulsive disorder.
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12
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Abstract
Astrocytes are morphologically complex, ubiquitous cells that are viewed as a homogeneous population tiling the entire central nervous system (CNS). However, this view has been challenged in the last few years with the availability of RNA sequencing, immunohistochemistry, electron microscopy, morphological reconstruction, and imaging data. These studies suggest that astrocytes represent a diverse population of cells and that they display brain area- and disease-specific properties and functions. In this review, we summarize these observations, emphasize areas where clear conclusions can be made, and discuss potential unifying themes. We also identify knowledge gaps that need to be addressed in order to exploit astrocyte diversity as a biological phenomenon of physiological relevance in the CNS. We thus provide a summary and a perspective on astrocyte diversity in the vertebrate CNS.
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Affiliation(s)
- Baljit S Khakh
- Departments of Physiology and Neurobiology, David Geffen School of Medicine, University of California, Los Angeles, California 90095, USA;
| | - Benjamin Deneen
- Department of Neuroscience and Center for Cell and Gene Therapy, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, Texas 77030, USA;
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13
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Cannabinoid Signaling Recruits Astrocytes to Modulate Presynaptic Function in the Suprachiasmatic Nucleus. eNeuro 2020; 7:ENEURO.0081-19.2020. [PMID: 31964686 PMCID: PMC7029187 DOI: 10.1523/eneuro.0081-19.2020] [Citation(s) in RCA: 25] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/06/2019] [Revised: 01/10/2020] [Accepted: 01/13/2020] [Indexed: 11/21/2022] Open
Abstract
Circadian rhythms are 24-h cycles in physiology regulated by the suprachiasmatic nucleus (SCN) in the brain, where daily cues act on SCN neurons to alter clock timing. Cannabinoid signaling modulates SCN neuronal activity, although the mechanism remains unclear. We propose that neuronal activity generates endocannabinoid release, activating astrocyte Ca2+ signaling, which releases adenosine and activates adenosine-1 receptors (A1Rs) on the presynaptic axon terminals, decreasing GABA release. We demonstrated, in mice, that activation of cannabinoid-1 receptors (CB1R) with the agonist WIN 55,212-2 (WIN) reduced the miniature GABA receptor-mediated postsynaptic current (mGPSC) frequency by a mechanism that requires astrocytes and A1R. WIN activated an intracellular Ca2+ signaling pathway in astrocytes. Activating this intracellular Ca2+ pathway with designer receptors exclusively activated by designer drugs (DREADDs) also decreased the mGPSC frequency and required A1R activation. The frequency of spontaneous Ca2+ events, including those induced by depolarization of a postsynaptic SCN neuron, was reduced by blocking CB1R activation with AM251, demonstrating neuronal endocannabinoid signaling modulates astrocytic Ca2+ signaling in the SCN. Finally, daytime application of WIN or adenosine phase advanced the molecular circadian clock, indicating that this cannabinoid signaling pathway is vital for the timing of circadian rhythms.
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14
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Mizuno GO, Wang Y, Shi G, Wang Y, Sun J, Papadopoulos S, Broussard GJ, Unger EK, Deng W, Weick J, Bhattacharyya A, Chen CY, Yu G, Looger LL, Tian L. Aberrant Calcium Signaling in Astrocytes Inhibits Neuronal Excitability in a Human Down Syndrome Stem Cell Model. Cell Rep 2019; 24:355-365. [PMID: 29996097 PMCID: PMC6631348 DOI: 10.1016/j.celrep.2018.06.033] [Citation(s) in RCA: 24] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/29/2017] [Revised: 05/04/2018] [Accepted: 06/07/2018] [Indexed: 11/25/2022] Open
Abstract
Down syndrome (DS) is a genetic disorder that causes cognitive impairment. The staggering effects associated with an extra copy of human chromosome 21 (HSA21) complicates mechanistic understanding of DS pathophysiology. We examined the neuron-astrocyte interplay in a fully recapitulated HSA21 trisomy cellular model differentiated from DS-patient-derived induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs). By combining calcium imaging with genetic approaches, we discovered the functional defects of DS astroglia and their effects on neuronal excitability. Compared with control isogenic astroglia, DS astroglia exhibited more-frequent spontaneous calcium fluctuations, which reduced the excitability of co-cultured neurons. Furthermore, suppressed neuronal activity could be rescued by abolishing astrocytic spontaneous calcium activity either chemically by blocking adenosine-mediated signaling or genetically by knockdown of inositol triphosphate (IP3) receptors or S100B, a calcium binding protein coded on HSA21. Our results suggest a mechanism by which DS alters the function of astrocytes, which subsequently disturbs neuronal excitability. To understand how Down syndrome (DS) affects neural networks, Mizuno et al. used a DS-patient-derived stem cell model and calcium imaging to investigate the functional defects of DS astrocytes and their effects on neuronal excitability. Their study reveals that DS astroglia exhibited more frequent spontaneous calcium fluctuations, which impair neuronal excitability.
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Affiliation(s)
- Grace O Mizuno
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Medicine, Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, University of California, Davis, Davis, CA, USA
| | - Yinxue Wang
- Bradley Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University, Blacksburg, VA, USA
| | - Guilai Shi
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Medicine, Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, University of California, Davis, Davis, CA, USA
| | - Yizhi Wang
- Bradley Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University, Blacksburg, VA, USA
| | - Junqing Sun
- Department of Pharmacology, University of California, Davis, Davis, CA, USA
| | - Stelios Papadopoulos
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Medicine, Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, University of California, Davis, Davis, CA, USA
| | - Gerard J Broussard
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Medicine, Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, University of California, Davis, Davis, CA, USA
| | - Elizabeth K Unger
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Medicine, Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, University of California, Davis, Davis, CA, USA
| | - Wenbin Deng
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Medicine, Shriner's Hospital, University of California, Davis, Davis, CA, USA
| | - Jason Weick
- Department of Neuroscience, University of New Mexico, Albuquerque, NM, USA
| | | | - Chao-Yin Chen
- Department of Pharmacology, University of California, Davis, Davis, CA, USA
| | - Guoqiang Yu
- Bradley Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University, Blacksburg, VA, USA
| | - Loren L Looger
- Janelia Research Campus, Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Ashburn, VA, USA
| | - Lin Tian
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Medicine, Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, University of California, Davis, Davis, CA, USA.
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15
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Talavera K, Startek JB, Alvarez-Collazo J, Boonen B, Alpizar YA, Sanchez A, Naert R, Nilius B. Mammalian Transient Receptor Potential TRPA1 Channels: From Structure to Disease. Physiol Rev 2019; 100:725-803. [PMID: 31670612 DOI: 10.1152/physrev.00005.2019] [Citation(s) in RCA: 214] [Impact Index Per Article: 42.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/06/2023] Open
Abstract
The transient receptor potential ankyrin (TRPA) channels are Ca2+-permeable nonselective cation channels remarkably conserved through the animal kingdom. Mammals have only one member, TRPA1, which is widely expressed in sensory neurons and in non-neuronal cells (such as epithelial cells and hair cells). TRPA1 owes its name to the presence of 14 ankyrin repeats located in the NH2 terminus of the channel, an unusual structural feature that may be relevant to its interactions with intracellular components. TRPA1 is primarily involved in the detection of an extremely wide variety of exogenous stimuli that may produce cellular damage. This includes a plethora of electrophilic compounds that interact with nucleophilic amino acid residues in the channel and many other chemically unrelated compounds whose only common feature seems to be their ability to partition in the plasma membrane. TRPA1 has been reported to be activated by cold, heat, and mechanical stimuli, and its function is modulated by multiple factors, including Ca2+, trace metals, pH, and reactive oxygen, nitrogen, and carbonyl species. TRPA1 is involved in acute and chronic pain as well as inflammation, plays key roles in the pathophysiology of nearly all organ systems, and is an attractive target for the treatment of related diseases. Here we review the current knowledge about the mammalian TRPA1 channel, linking its unique structure, widely tuned sensory properties, and complex regulation to its roles in multiple pathophysiological conditions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Karel Talavera
- Laboratory of Ion Channel Research, Department of Cellular and Molecular Medicine, KU Leuven; VIB Center for Brain and Disease Research, Leuven, Belgium
| | - Justyna B Startek
- Laboratory of Ion Channel Research, Department of Cellular and Molecular Medicine, KU Leuven; VIB Center for Brain and Disease Research, Leuven, Belgium
| | - Julio Alvarez-Collazo
- Laboratory of Ion Channel Research, Department of Cellular and Molecular Medicine, KU Leuven; VIB Center for Brain and Disease Research, Leuven, Belgium
| | - Brett Boonen
- Laboratory of Ion Channel Research, Department of Cellular and Molecular Medicine, KU Leuven; VIB Center for Brain and Disease Research, Leuven, Belgium
| | - Yeranddy A Alpizar
- Laboratory of Ion Channel Research, Department of Cellular and Molecular Medicine, KU Leuven; VIB Center for Brain and Disease Research, Leuven, Belgium
| | - Alicia Sanchez
- Laboratory of Ion Channel Research, Department of Cellular and Molecular Medicine, KU Leuven; VIB Center for Brain and Disease Research, Leuven, Belgium
| | - Robbe Naert
- Laboratory of Ion Channel Research, Department of Cellular and Molecular Medicine, KU Leuven; VIB Center for Brain and Disease Research, Leuven, Belgium
| | - Bernd Nilius
- Laboratory of Ion Channel Research, Department of Cellular and Molecular Medicine, KU Leuven; VIB Center for Brain and Disease Research, Leuven, Belgium
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16
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Eilert-Olsen M, Hjukse JB, Thoren AE, Tang W, Enger R, Jensen V, Pettersen KH, Nagelhus EA. Astroglial endfeet exhibit distinct Ca 2+ signals during hypoosmotic conditions. Glia 2019; 67:2399-2409. [PMID: 31350866 DOI: 10.1002/glia.23692] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/16/2019] [Revised: 07/12/2019] [Accepted: 07/16/2019] [Indexed: 11/09/2022]
Abstract
Astrocytic endfeet cover the brain surface and form a sheath around the cerebral vasculature. An emerging concept is that endfeet control blood-brain water transport and drainage of interstitial fluid and waste along paravascular pathways. Little is known about the signaling mechanisms that regulate endfoot volume and hence the width of these drainage pathways. Here, we used the genetically encoded fluorescent Ca2+ indicator GCaMP6f to study Ca2+ signaling within astrocytic somata, processes, and endfeet in response to an osmotic challenge known to induce cell swelling. Acute cortical slices were subjected to artificial cerebrospinal fluid with 20% reduction in osmolarity while GCaMP6f fluorescence was imaged with two-photon microscopy. Ca2+ signals induced by hypoosmotic conditions were observed in all astrocytic compartments except the soma. The Ca2+ response was most prominent in subpial and perivascular endfeet and included spikes with single peaks, plateau-type elevations, and rapid oscillations, the latter restricted to subpial endfeet. Genetic removal of the type 2 inositol 1,4,5-triphosphate receptor (IP3R2) severely suppressed the Ca2+ responses in endfeet but failed to affect brain water accumulation in vivo after water intoxication. Furthermore, the increase in endfoot Ca2+ spike rate during hypoosmotic conditions was attenuated in mutant mice lacking the aquaporin-4 anchoring molecule dystrophin and after blockage of transient receptor potential vanilloid 4 channels. We conclude that the characteristics and underpinning of Ca2+ responses to hypoosmotic stress differ within the astrocytic territory and that IP3R2 is essential for the Ca2+ signals only in subpial and perivascular endfeet.
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Affiliation(s)
- Martine Eilert-Olsen
- Division of Physiology, Department of Molecular Medicine, GliaLab and Letten Centre, Institute of Basic Medical Sciences, University of Oslo, Oslo, Norway
| | - Jarand B Hjukse
- Division of Physiology, Department of Molecular Medicine, GliaLab and Letten Centre, Institute of Basic Medical Sciences, University of Oslo, Oslo, Norway
| | - Anna E Thoren
- Division of Physiology, Department of Molecular Medicine, GliaLab and Letten Centre, Institute of Basic Medical Sciences, University of Oslo, Oslo, Norway
| | - Wannan Tang
- Division of Physiology, Department of Molecular Medicine, GliaLab and Letten Centre, Institute of Basic Medical Sciences, University of Oslo, Oslo, Norway
| | - Rune Enger
- Division of Physiology, Department of Molecular Medicine, GliaLab and Letten Centre, Institute of Basic Medical Sciences, University of Oslo, Oslo, Norway.,Department of Neurology, Oslo University Hospital, Oslo, Norway
| | - Vidar Jensen
- Division of Physiology, Department of Molecular Medicine, GliaLab and Letten Centre, Institute of Basic Medical Sciences, University of Oslo, Oslo, Norway
| | - Klas H Pettersen
- Division of Physiology, Department of Molecular Medicine, GliaLab and Letten Centre, Institute of Basic Medical Sciences, University of Oslo, Oslo, Norway
| | - Erlend A Nagelhus
- Division of Physiology, Department of Molecular Medicine, GliaLab and Letten Centre, Institute of Basic Medical Sciences, University of Oslo, Oslo, Norway.,Department of Neurology, Oslo University Hospital, Oslo, Norway
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17
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Yoon H, Radulovic M, Scarisbrick IA. Kallikrein-related peptidase 6 orchestrates astrocyte form and function through proteinase activated receptor-dependent mechanisms. Biol Chem 2019; 399:1041-1052. [PMID: 29604205 DOI: 10.1515/hsz-2018-0122] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/15/2018] [Accepted: 03/26/2018] [Indexed: 02/01/2023]
Abstract
Kallikrein-related peptidase 6 (Klk6) is the most abundant serine proteinase in the adult central nervous system (CNS), yet we know little regarding its physiological roles or mechanisms of action. Levels of Klk6 in the extracellular environment are dynamically regulated in CNS injury and disease positioning this secreted enzyme to affect cell behavior by potential receptor dependent and independent mechanisms. Here we show that recombinant Klk6 evokes increases in intracellular Ca2+ in primary astrocyte monolayer cultures through activation of proteinase activated receptor 1 (PAR1). In addition, Klk6 promoted a condensation of astrocyte cortical actin leading to an elongated stellate shape and multicellular aggregation in a manner that was dependent on the presence of either PAR1 or PAR2. Klk6-evoked changes in astrocyte shape were accompanied by translocation of β-catenin from the plasma membrane to the cytoplasm. These data are exciting because they demonstrate that Klk6 can influence astrocyte plasticity through receptor-dependent mechanisms. Furthermore, this study expands our understanding of the mechanisms by which kallikreins can contribute to neural homeostasis and remodeling and point to both PAR1 and PAR2 as new therapeutic targets to modulate astrocyte form and function.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hyesook Yoon
- Department of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation, Mayo Clinic, Rochester, MN 55905, USA.,Rehabilitation Medicine Research Center, Mayo Clinic, 200 First St., SW, Rochester, MN 55905, USA.,Department of Physiology and Biomedical Engineering, Mayo Clinic, Rochester, MN 55905, USA
| | - Maja Radulovic
- Department of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation, Mayo Clinic, Rochester, MN 55905, USA.,Rehabilitation Medicine Research Center, Mayo Clinic, 200 First St., SW, Rochester, MN 55905, USA
| | - Isobel A Scarisbrick
- Department of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation, Mayo Clinic, Rochester, MN 55905, USA.,Rehabilitation Medicine Research Center, Mayo Clinic, 200 First St., SW, Rochester, MN 55905, USA.,Department of Physiology and Biomedical Engineering, Mayo Clinic, Rochester, MN 55905, USA
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18
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Semyanov A. Spatiotemporal pattern of calcium activity in astrocytic network. Cell Calcium 2019; 78:15-25. [DOI: 10.1016/j.ceca.2018.12.007] [Citation(s) in RCA: 50] [Impact Index Per Article: 10.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/11/2018] [Revised: 12/16/2018] [Accepted: 12/16/2018] [Indexed: 12/22/2022]
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19
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Morrison HW, Filosa JA. Stroke and the neurovascular unit: glial cells, sex differences, and hypertension. Am J Physiol Cell Physiol 2019; 316:C325-C339. [PMID: 30601672 DOI: 10.1152/ajpcell.00333.2018] [Citation(s) in RCA: 24] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/07/2023]
Abstract
A functional neurovascular unit (NVU) is central to meeting the brain's dynamic metabolic needs. Poststroke damage to the NVU within the ipsilateral hemisphere ranges from cell dysfunction to complete cell loss. Thus, understanding poststroke cell-cell communication within the NVU is of critical importance. Loss of coordinated NVU function exacerbates ischemic injury. However, particular cells of the NVU (e.g., astrocytes) and those with ancillary roles (e.g., microglia) also contribute to repair mechanisms. Epidemiological studies support the notion that infarct size and recovery outcomes are heterogeneous and greatly influenced by modifiable and nonmodifiable factors such as sex and the co-morbid condition common to stroke: hypertension. The mechanisms whereby sex and hypertension modulate NVU function are explored, to some extent, in preclinical laboratory studies. We present a review of the NVU in the context of ischemic stroke with a focus on glial contributions to NVU function and dysfunction. We explore the impact of sex and hypertension as modifiable and nonmodifiable risk factors and the underlying cellular mechanisms that may underlie heterogeneous stroke outcomes. Most of the preclinical investigative studies of poststroke NVU dysfunction are carried out primarily in male stroke models lacking underlying co-morbid conditions, which is very different from the human condition. As such, the evolution of translational medicine to target the NVU for improved stroke outcomes remains elusive; however, it is attainable with further research.
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20
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Losi G, Lia AM, Gomez-Gonzalo M, Zonta M, Carmignoto G. Optogenetic Interneuron Stimulation and Calcium Imaging in Astrocytes. Methods Mol Biol 2019; 1925:173-182. [PMID: 30674027 DOI: 10.1007/978-1-4939-9018-4_16] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/09/2023]
Abstract
In brain networks, neurons are constantly involved in a dynamic interaction with the other cell populations and, particularly, with astrocytes, the most abundant glial cells in the brain. Astrocytes respond to neurotransmitters with Ca2+ elevations which represent a key event in the modulation of local brain circuits played by these glial cells. Due to technical limitations, the study of Ca2+ signal dynamics in astrocytes has focused for decades almost exclusively on somatic and perisomatic regions. Accordingly, Ca2+ signal in astrocytic fine protrusions, which are in close contact with the synapse, has been poorly investigated. Over the last years, the diffusion of novel tools such as the viral vector gene delivery of genetically encoded Ca2+ indicators (GECI), the optogenetics, and multiphoton laser scanning microscopy has boosted significantly our capability to study astrocytic Ca2+ signals in the different subcellular compartments. Here we report a protocol that combines these techniques to study astrocyte Ca2+ signaling in response to somatostatin (SST)-expressing interneurons, one of the main classes of GABAergic inhibitory interneurons.
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Affiliation(s)
- Gabriele Losi
- Neuroscience Institute, Italian National Research Council (CNR), Padua, Italy.
- Department of Biomedical Science, University of Padua, Padua, Italy.
| | - Anna Maria Lia
- Department of Biomedical Science, University of Padua, Padua, Italy
| | - Marta Gomez-Gonzalo
- Neuroscience Institute, Italian National Research Council (CNR), Padua, Italy
- Department of Biomedical Science, University of Padua, Padua, Italy
| | - Micaela Zonta
- Neuroscience Institute, Italian National Research Council (CNR), Padua, Italy
- Department of Biomedical Science, University of Padua, Padua, Italy
| | - Giorgio Carmignoto
- Neuroscience Institute, Italian National Research Council (CNR), Padua, Italy
- Department of Biomedical Science, University of Padua, Padua, Italy
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21
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GECIquant: Semi-automated Detection and Quantification of Astrocyte Intracellular Ca2+ Signals Monitored with GCaMP6f. SPRINGER SERIES IN COMPUTATIONAL NEUROSCIENCE 2019. [DOI: 10.1007/978-3-030-00817-8_17] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/12/2022]
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22
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Brazhe AR, Verisokin AY, Verveyko DV, Postnov DE. Sodium-Calcium Exchanger Can Account for Regenerative Ca 2+ Entry in Thin Astrocyte Processes. Front Cell Neurosci 2018; 12:250. [PMID: 30154700 PMCID: PMC6102320 DOI: 10.3389/fncel.2018.00250] [Citation(s) in RCA: 23] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/14/2018] [Accepted: 07/23/2018] [Indexed: 01/05/2023] Open
Abstract
Calcium transients in thin astrocytic processes can be important in synaptic plasticity, but their mechanism is not completely understood. Clearance of synaptic glutamate leads to increase in astrocytic sodium. This can electrochemically favor the reverse mode of the Na/Ca-exchanger (NCX) and allow calcium into the cell, accounting for activity-dependent calcium transients in perisynaptic astrocytic processes. However, cytosolic sodium and calcium are also allosteric regulators of the NCX, thus adding kinetic constraints on the NCX-mediated fluxes and providing for complexity of the system dynamics. Our modeling indicates that the calcium-dependent activation and also calcium-dependent escape from the sodium-mediated inactive state of the NCX in astrocytes can form a positive feedback loop and lead to regenerative calcium influx. This can result in sodium-dependent amplification of calcium transients from nearby locations or other membrane mechanisms. Prolonged conditions of elevated sodium, for example in ischemia, can also lead to bistability in cytosolic calcium levels, where a delayed transition to the high-calcium state can be triggered by a short calcium transient. These theoretical predictions call for a dedicated experimental estimation of the kinetic parameters of the astrocytic Na/Ca-exchanger.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alexey R. Brazhe
- Department of Biophysics, Biological Faculty, Lomonosov Moscow State University, Moscow, Russia
| | | | - Darya V. Verveyko
- Department of Theoretical Physics, Kursk State University, Kursk, Russia
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23
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Lind BL, Jessen SB, Lønstrup M, Joséphine C, Bonvento G, Lauritzen M. Fast Ca 2+ responses in astrocyte end-feet and neurovascular coupling in mice. Glia 2017; 66:348-358. [PMID: 29058353 DOI: 10.1002/glia.23246] [Citation(s) in RCA: 42] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/27/2017] [Revised: 09/28/2017] [Accepted: 09/29/2017] [Indexed: 01/09/2023]
Abstract
Cerebral blood flow (CBF) is regulated by the activity of neurons and astrocytes. Understanding how these cells control activity-dependent increases in CBF is crucial to interpreting functional neuroimaging signals. The relative importance of neurons and astrocytes is debated, as are the functional implications of fast Ca2+ changes in astrocytes versus neurons. Here, we used two-photon microscopy to assess Ca2+ changes in neuropil, astrocyte processes, and astrocyte end-feet in response to whisker pad stimulation in mice. We also developed a pixel-based analysis to improve the detection of rapid Ca2+ signals in the subcellular compartments of astrocytes. Fast Ca2+ responses were observed using both chemical and genetically encoded Ca2+ indicators in astrocyte end-feet prior to dilation of arterioles and capillaries. A low dose of the NMDA receptor antagonist (5R,10s)-(+)-5-methyl-10,11-dihydro-5H-dibenzo[a,d]cyclohepten-5,10-imine-hydrogen-maleate (MK801) attenuated fast Ca2+ responses in the neuropil and astrocyte processes, but not in astrocyte end-feet, and the evoked CBF response was preserved. In addition, a low dose of 4,5,6,7-tetrahydroisoxazolo[5,4-c]pyridin-3-ol (THIP), an agonist for the extrasynaptic GABAA receptor (GABAA R), increased CBF responses and the fast Ca2+ response in astrocyte end-feet but did not affect Ca2+ responses in astrocyte processes and neuropil. These results suggest that fast Ca2+ increases in the neuropil and astrocyte processes are not necessary for an evoked CBF response. In contrast, as local fast Ca2+ responses in astrocyte end-feet are unaffected by MK801 but increase via GABAA R-dependent mechanisms that also increased CBF responses, we hypothesize that the fast Ca2+ increases in end-feet adjust CBF during synaptic activity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Barbara Lykke Lind
- Department of Neuroscience and Center for Healthy Aging, University of Copenhagen, Denmark
| | - Sanne Barsballe Jessen
- Department of Neuroscience and Center for Healthy Aging, University of Copenhagen, Denmark
| | - Micael Lønstrup
- Department of Neuroscience and Center for Healthy Aging, University of Copenhagen, Denmark
| | - Charlène Joséphine
- Commissariat à l'Energie Atomique et aux Energies Alternatives (CEA), Département de la Recherche Fondamentale (DRF), Institut de Biologie François-Jacob, Molecular Imaging Research Center (MIRCen), CNRS UMR 9199, Université Paris-Sud, Université Paris-Saclay, Fontenay-aux-Roses, France
| | - Gilles Bonvento
- Commissariat à l'Energie Atomique et aux Energies Alternatives (CEA), Département de la Recherche Fondamentale (DRF), Institut de Biologie François-Jacob, Molecular Imaging Research Center (MIRCen), CNRS UMR 9199, Université Paris-Sud, Université Paris-Saclay, Fontenay-aux-Roses, France
| | - Martin Lauritzen
- Department of Neuroscience and Center for Healthy Aging, University of Copenhagen, Denmark.,Department of Clinical Neurophysiology, Glostrup Hospital, Denmark
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24
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Comparison of GCaMP3 and GCaMP6f for studying astrocyte Ca2+ dynamics in the awake mouse brain. PLoS One 2017; 12:e0181113. [PMID: 28742117 PMCID: PMC5524333 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0181113] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/13/2017] [Accepted: 06/25/2017] [Indexed: 12/16/2022] Open
Abstract
In recent years it has become increasingly clear that astrocytes play a much more active role in neural processes than the traditional view of them as supporting cells suggests. Although not electrically excitable, astrocytes exhibit diverse Ca2+ dynamics across spatial and temporal scales, more or less dependent on the animal's behavioral state. Ca2+ dynamics range from global elevations lasting multiple seconds encompassing the soma up to the finest processes, to short elevations restricted to so-called microdomains within fine processes. Investigations of astrocyte Ca2+ dynamics have particularly benefitted from the development of Genetically-Encoded Calcium Indicators (GECIs). GECI expression can be achieved non-invasively in a cell type-specific manner and it can be genetically targeted to subcellular domains. The GCaMP family, a group of GECIs derived from the green fluorescent protein, has experienced some of the fastest advancements during the past decade. As a consequence we are now facing the challenge of needing to compare published data obtained with different versions of GECIs. With the intention to provide some guidance, here we compared Ca2+ dynamics across scales in awake transgenic mice expressing either the well-established GCaMP3, or the increasingly popular GCaMP6f, specifically in astrocytes. We found that locomotion-induced global Ca2+ elevations in cortical astrocytes displayed only minor kinetic differences and their apparent dynamic ranges for Ca2+ sensing were not different. In contrast, Ca2+ waves in processes and microdomain Ca2+ transients were much more readily detectable with GCaMP6f. Our findings suggest that behavioral state-dependent global astrocyte Ca2+ responses can be studied with either GCaMP3 or GCaMP6f whereas the latter is more appropriate for studies of spatially restricted weak and fast Ca2+ dynamics.
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25
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Oheim M, Schmidt E, Hirrlinger J. Local energy on demand: Are 'spontaneous' astrocytic Ca 2+-microdomains the regulatory unit for astrocyte-neuron metabolic cooperation? Brain Res Bull 2017; 136:54-64. [PMID: 28450076 DOI: 10.1016/j.brainresbull.2017.04.011] [Citation(s) in RCA: 25] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/14/2016] [Revised: 03/18/2017] [Accepted: 04/21/2017] [Indexed: 12/21/2022]
Abstract
Astrocytes are a neural cell type critically involved in maintaining brain energy homeostasis as well as signaling. Like neurons, astrocytes are a heterogeneous cell population. Cortical astrocytes show a complex morphology with a highly branched aborization and numerous fine processes ensheathing the synapses of neighboring neurons, and typically extend one process connecting to blood vessels. Recent studies employing genetically encoded fluorescent calcium (Ca2+) indicators have described 'spontaneous' localized Ca2+-transients in the astrocyte periphery that occur asynchronously, independently of signals in other parts of the cells, and that do not involve somatic Ca2+ transients; however, neither it is known whether these Ca2+-microdomains occur at or near neuronal synapses nor have their molecular basis nor downstream effector(s) been identified. In addition to Ca2+ microdomains, sodium (Na+) transients occur in astrocyte subdomains, too, most likely as a consequence of Na+ co-transport with the neurotransmitter glutamate, which also regulates mitochondrial movements locally - as do cytoplasmic Ca2+ levels. In this review, we cover various aspects of these local signaling events and discuss how structural and biophysical properties of astrocytes might foster such compartmentation. Astrocytes metabolically interact with neurons by providing energy substrates to active neurons. As a single astrocyte branch covers hundreds to thousands of synapses, it is tempting to speculate that these metabolic interactions could occur localized to specific subdomains of astrocytes, perhaps even at the level of small groups of synapses. We discuss how astrocytic metabolism might be regulated at this scale and which signals might contribute to its regulation. We speculate that the astrocytic structures that light up transiently as Ca2+-microdomains might be the functional units of astrocytes linking signaling and metabolic processes to adapt astrocytic function to local energy demands. The understanding of these local regulatory and metabolic interactions will be fundamental to fully appreciate the complexity of brain energy homeostasis as well as its failure in disease and may shed new light on the controversy about neuron-glia bi-directional signaling at the tripartite synapse.
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Affiliation(s)
- Martin Oheim
- CNRS UMR 8118, Brain Physiology Laboratory, F-75006 Paris, France; Fédération de Recherche en Neurosciences FR3636, Faculté de Sciences Fondamentales et Biomédicales, Université Paris Descartes, PRES Université Sorbonne Paris Cité (USPC), F-75006 Paris, France.
| | - Elke Schmidt
- CNRS UMR 8118, Brain Physiology Laboratory, F-75006 Paris, France; Fédération de Recherche en Neurosciences FR3636, Faculté de Sciences Fondamentales et Biomédicales, Université Paris Descartes, PRES Université Sorbonne Paris Cité (USPC), F-75006 Paris, France
| | - Johannes Hirrlinger
- Carl-Ludwig-Institute for Physiology, Faculty of Medicine, University of Leipzig, D-04103 Leipzig, Germany; Dept. of Neurogenetics, Max-Planck-Institute for Experimental Medicine, D-37075 Göttingen, Germany.
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26
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Wolfes AC, Ahmed S, Awasthi A, Stahlberg MA, Rajput A, Magruder DS, Bonn S, Dean C. A novel method for culturing stellate astrocytes reveals spatially distinct Ca2+ signaling and vesicle recycling in astrocytic processes. J Gen Physiol 2016; 149:149-170. [PMID: 27908976 PMCID: PMC5217085 DOI: 10.1085/jgp.201611607] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/11/2016] [Revised: 11/09/2016] [Accepted: 11/11/2016] [Indexed: 12/20/2022] Open
Abstract
Communication between astrocytes and neurons has been difficult to study because cultured astrocytes do not resemble those in vivo. Wolfes et al. develop a stellate astrocyte monoculture with physiological characteristics and find that VAMP2 and SYT7 mark distinct vesicle populations in astrocytes. Interactions between astrocytes and neurons rely on the release and uptake of glial and neuronal molecules. But whether astrocytic vesicles exist and exocytose in a regulated or constitutive fashion is under debate. The majority of studies have relied on indirect methods or on astrocyte cultures that do not resemble stellate astrocytes found in vivo. Here, to investigate vesicle-associated proteins and exocytosis in stellate astrocytes specifically, we developed a simple, fast, and economical method for growing stellate astrocyte monocultures. This method is superior to other monocultures in terms of astrocyte morphology, mRNA expression profile, protein expression of cell maturity markers, and Ca2+ fluctuations: In astrocytes transduced with GFAP promoter–driven Lck-GCaMP3, spontaneous Ca2+ events in distinct domains (somata, branchlets, and microdomains) are similar to those in astrocytes co-cultured with other glia and neurons but unlike Ca2+ events in astrocytes prepared using the McCarthy and de Vellis (MD) method and immunopanned (IP) astrocytes. We identify two distinct populations of constitutively recycling vesicles (harboring either VAMP2 or SYT7) specifically in branchlets of cultured stellate astrocytes. SYT7 is developmentally regulated in these astrocytes, and we observe significantly fewer synapses in wild-type mouse neurons grown on Syt7−/− astrocytes. SYT7 may thus be involved in trafficking or releasing synaptogenic factors. In summary, our novel method yields stellate astrocyte monocultures that can be used to study Ca2+ signaling and vesicle recycling and dynamics in astrocytic processes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Anne C Wolfes
- Trans-Synaptic Signaling Group, European Neuroscience Institute Göttingen, 37077 Göttingen, Germany
| | - Saheeb Ahmed
- Trans-Synaptic Signaling Group, European Neuroscience Institute Göttingen, 37077 Göttingen, Germany
| | - Ankit Awasthi
- Trans-Synaptic Signaling Group, European Neuroscience Institute Göttingen, 37077 Göttingen, Germany
| | - Markus A Stahlberg
- Trans-Synaptic Signaling Group, European Neuroscience Institute Göttingen, 37077 Göttingen, Germany
| | - Ashish Rajput
- Research Group for Computational Systems Biology, German Center for Neurodegenerative Disease (DZNE), 37075 Göttingen, Germany
| | - Daniel S Magruder
- Research Group for Computational Systems Biology, German Center for Neurodegenerative Disease (DZNE), 37075 Göttingen, Germany
| | - Stefan Bonn
- Research Group for Computational Systems Biology, German Center for Neurodegenerative Disease (DZNE), 37075 Göttingen, Germany
| | - Camin Dean
- Trans-Synaptic Signaling Group, European Neuroscience Institute Göttingen, 37077 Göttingen, Germany
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27
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Shigetomi E, Patel S, Khakh BS. Probing the Complexities of Astrocyte Calcium Signaling. Trends Cell Biol 2016; 26:300-312. [PMID: 26896246 PMCID: PMC4946798 DOI: 10.1016/j.tcb.2016.01.003] [Citation(s) in RCA: 168] [Impact Index Per Article: 21.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/09/2015] [Revised: 01/12/2016] [Accepted: 01/14/2016] [Indexed: 01/08/2023]
Abstract
Astrocytes are abundant glial cells that tile the entire central nervous system and mediate well-established functions for neurons, blood vessels, and other glia. These ubiquitous cells display intracellular Ca(2+) signals, which have been intensely studied for 25 years. Recently, the use of improved methods has unearthed the panoply of astrocyte Ca(2+) signals and a variable landscape of basal Ca(2+) levels. In vivo studies have started to reveal the settings under which astrocytes display behaviorally relevant Ca(2+) signaling. Studies in mice have emphasized how astrocyte Ca(2+) signaling is altered in distinct neurodegenerative diseases. Progress in the past few years, fueled by methodological advances, has thus reignited interest in astrocyte Ca(2+) signaling for brain function and dysfunction.
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Affiliation(s)
- Eiji Shigetomi
- Department of Neuropharmacology, Interdisciplinary Graduate School of Medicine, University of Yamanashi, 1110 Shimokato, Chuo, Yamanashi 409-3898, Japan
| | - Sandip Patel
- Department of Cell and Developmental Biology, University College London, Gower Street, London WC1E 6BT, UK
| | - Baljit S Khakh
- Department of Physiology, David Geffen School of Medicine, University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA 90095-1751, USA; Department of Neurobiology, David Geffen School of Medicine, University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA 90095-1751, USA.
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28
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Benjamin Kacerovsky J, Murai KK. Stargazing: Monitoring subcellular dynamics of brain astrocytes. Neuroscience 2015; 323:84-95. [PMID: 26162237 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuroscience.2015.07.007] [Citation(s) in RCA: 24] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/15/2014] [Revised: 06/28/2015] [Accepted: 07/01/2015] [Indexed: 01/21/2023]
Abstract
Astrocytes are major non-neuronal cell types in the central nervous system that regulate a variety of processes in the brain including synaptic transmission, neurometabolism, and cerebrovasculature tone. Recent discoveries have revealed that astrocytes perform very specialized and heterogeneous roles in brain homeostasis and function. Exactly how astrocytes fulfill such diverse roles in the brain remains to be fully understood and is an active area of research. In this review, we focus on the complex subcellular anatomical features of protoplasmic gray matter astrocytes in the mature, healthy brain that likely empower these cells with the ability to detect and respond to changes in neuronal and synaptic activity. In particular, we discuss how intricate processes on astrocytes allow these cells to communicate with neurons and their synapses and strategically deliver specific cellular organelles such as mitochondria and ribosomes to active compartments within the neuropil. Understanding the properties of these structural elements will lead to a better understanding of how astrocytes function in the healthy and diseased brain.
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Affiliation(s)
- J Benjamin Kacerovsky
- Centre for Research in Neuroscience, Department of Neurology and Neurosurgery, The Research Institute of the McGill University Health Centre, Montreal General Hospital, Montreal, Quebec H3G 1A4, Canada
| | - K K Murai
- Centre for Research in Neuroscience, Department of Neurology and Neurosurgery, The Research Institute of the McGill University Health Centre, Montreal General Hospital, Montreal, Quebec H3G 1A4, Canada.
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29
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Molofsky AV, Deneen B. Astrocyte development: A Guide for the Perplexed. Glia 2015; 63:1320-9. [PMID: 25963996 DOI: 10.1002/glia.22836] [Citation(s) in RCA: 197] [Impact Index Per Article: 21.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/02/2015] [Accepted: 03/26/2015] [Indexed: 01/09/2023]
Abstract
Astrocytes are the predominant cell type in the brain and perform key functions vital to CNS physiology, including blood brain barrier formation and maintenance, synaptogenesis, neurotransmission, and metabolic regulation. To fully understand the contributions of astrocytes to brain function, it will be important to bridge the existing gap between development and physiology. In this review, we provide an overview of Astrocyte development, including recent insights into molecular mechanisms of astrocyte specification, regional patterning and proliferation. This developmental perspective is complemented with recent findings that describe the functional maturation of astrocytes and their prospective diversity. Future progress in understanding Astrocyte development will depend on the development of astrocyte- stage specific markers and tools for manipulating astrocytes without affecting neuron production. Ultimately, a mechanistic approach to Astrocyte development will be crucial to developing new treatments for the many neurodevelopmental, neurodegenerative, neuroimmune, and neoplastic diseases involving astrocyte dysfunction.
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Affiliation(s)
- Anna Victoria Molofsky
- Department of Psychiatry, University of California-San Francisco, San Francisco, California
| | - Benjamin Deneen
- Center for Cell and Gene Therapy, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, Texas
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30
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Abstract
Astrocytes seem to rely on relatively sluggish and spatially blurred Ca(2+) waves to communicate with fast and point-precise neural circuits. This apparent discrepancy could, however, reflect our current inability to understand the microscopic mechanisms involved. Difficulties in detecting and interpreting astrocyte Ca(2+) signals may have led to some prominent controversies in the field. Here, we argue that a deeper understanding of astrocyte physiology requires a qualitative leap in our experimental and analytical strategies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Dmitri A Rusakov
- UCL Institute of Neurology, University College London, Queen Square, London, WC1N 3BG, UK
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31
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Khakh BS, McCarthy KD. Astrocyte calcium signaling: from observations to functions and the challenges therein. Cold Spring Harb Perspect Biol 2015; 7:a020404. [PMID: 25605709 PMCID: PMC4382738 DOI: 10.1101/cshperspect.a020404] [Citation(s) in RCA: 156] [Impact Index Per Article: 17.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/21/2022]
Abstract
We provide an overview of recent progress on the study of astrocyte intracellular Ca(2+) signaling. We consider the methods that have been used to monitor astrocyte Ca(2+) signals, the various types of Ca(2+) signals that have been discovered (waves, microdomains, and intrinsic fluctuations), the approaches used to broadly trigger and block Ca(2+) signals, and, where possible, the proposed and demonstrated physiological roles for astrocyte Ca(2+) signals within neuronal microcircuits. Although important progress has been made, we suggest that further detailed work is needed to explore the biophysics and molecular mechanisms of Ca(2+) signaling within entire astrocytes, including their fine distal extensions, such as processes that interact spatially with neurons and blood vessels. Improved methods are also needed to mimic and block molecularly defined types of Ca(2+) signals within genetically specified populations of astrocytes. Moreover, it will be essential to study astrocyte Ca(2+) activity in vivo to distinguish between pharmacological and physiological activity, and to study Ca(2+) activity in situ to rigorously explore mechanisms. Once methods to reliably measure, mimic, and block specific astrocyte Ca(2+) signals with high temporal and spatial precision are available, researchers will be able to carefully explore the correlative and causative roles that Ca(2+) signals may play in the functions of astrocytes, blood vessels, neurons, and microcircuits in the healthy and diseased brain.
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Affiliation(s)
- Baljit S Khakh
- Departments of Physiology and Neurobiology, David Geffen School of Medicine, University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, California 90095
| | - Ken D McCarthy
- Department of Pharmacology, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, North Carolina 27599-7365
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32
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Kaja S, Payne AJ, Patel KR, Naumchuk Y, Koulen P. Differential subcellular Ca2+ signaling in a highly specialized subpopulation of astrocytes. Exp Neurol 2014; 265:59-68. [PMID: 25542978 DOI: 10.1016/j.expneurol.2014.12.014] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/10/2014] [Revised: 11/26/2014] [Accepted: 12/12/2014] [Indexed: 11/24/2022]
Abstract
Recent evidence suggests that astrocytes do not serve a mere buffering function, but exhibit complex signaling pathways, disturbance of which contributes significantly to the pathophysiology of CNS diseases. Little is known regarding the intracellular signaling pathways in the specialized optic nerve head astrocytes (ONHAs), the major glia cell type in non-myelinated optic nerve head. Here we show the differential subcellular expression of intracellular Ca(2+) channels in ONHAs. Expression of type 1 and type 3 inositol-1-4-5,-trisphosphate receptors (IP3Rs) in the endoplasmic reticulum and type 2 IP3Rs in the nuclear envelope causes differential Ca(2+) release from intracellular stores in nuclear vs. cytosolic compartments. Our study identifies differential distribution and activity of Ca(2+) channels as molecular substrate and mechanism by which astrocytes independently regulate Ca(2+) transients in both cytoplasm and nucleoplasm, thereby controlling genomic and non-genomic cellular signaling, respectively. This provides excellent targets for therapeutics restoring pathological disturbances of intracellular Ca(2+) signaling present in glaucoma and other neurodegenerative disorders with astrocyte involvement.
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Affiliation(s)
- Simon Kaja
- Vision Research Center, Department of Ophthalmology, University of Missouri - Kansas City, School of Medicine, 2411 Holmes St., Kansas City, MO 64108, USA
| | - Andrew J Payne
- Vision Research Center, Department of Ophthalmology, University of Missouri - Kansas City, School of Medicine, 2411 Holmes St., Kansas City, MO 64108, USA
| | - Krupa R Patel
- Vision Research Center, Department of Ophthalmology, University of Missouri - Kansas City, School of Medicine, 2411 Holmes St., Kansas City, MO 64108, USA
| | - Yuliya Naumchuk
- Vision Research Center, Department of Ophthalmology, University of Missouri - Kansas City, School of Medicine, 2411 Holmes St., Kansas City, MO 64108, USA
| | - Peter Koulen
- Vision Research Center, Department of Ophthalmology, University of Missouri - Kansas City, School of Medicine, 2411 Holmes St., Kansas City, MO 64108, USA.
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33
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Jiang R, Haustein MD, Sofroniew MV, Khakh BS. Imaging intracellular Ca²⁺ signals in striatal astrocytes from adult mice using genetically-encoded calcium indicators. J Vis Exp 2014:e51972. [PMID: 25490346 DOI: 10.3791/51972] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/30/2023] Open
Abstract
Astrocytes display spontaneous intracellular Ca(2+) concentration fluctuations ([Ca(2+)]i) and in several settings respond to neuronal excitation with enhanced [Ca(2+)]i signals. It has been proposed that astrocytes in turn regulate neurons and blood vessels through calcium-dependent mechanisms, such as the release of signaling molecules. However, [Ca(2+)]i imaging in entire astrocytes has only recently become feasible with genetically encoded calcium indicators (GECIs) such as the GCaMP series. The use of GECIs in astrocytes now provides opportunities to study astrocyte [Ca(2+)]i signals in detail within model microcircuits such as the striatum, which is the largest nucleus of the basal ganglia. In the present report, detailed surgical methods to express GECIs in astrocytes in vivo, and confocal imaging approaches to record [Ca(2+)]i signals in striatal astrocytes in situ, are described. We highlight precautions, necessary controls and tests to determine if GECI expression is selective for astrocytes and to evaluate signs of overt astrocyte reactivity. We also describe brain slice and imaging conditions in detail that permit reliable [Ca(2+)]i imaging in striatal astrocytes in situ. The use of these approaches revealed the entire territories of single striatal astrocytes and spontaneous [Ca(2+)]i signals within their somata, branches and branchlets. The further use and expansion of these approaches in the striatum will allow for the detailed study of astrocyte [Ca(2+)]i signals in the striatal microcircuitry.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ruotian Jiang
- Department of Physiology, University of California Los Angeles
| | | | | | - Baljit S Khakh
- Department of Physiology, University of California Los Angeles; Department of Neurobiology, University of California Los Angeles;
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34
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Abstract
We have come a long way in the 55 years since Edmond Fischer and the late Edwin Krebs discovered that the activity of glycogen phosphorylase is regulated by reversible protein phosphorylation. Many of the fundamental molecular mechanisms that operate in biological signaling have since been characterized and the vast web of interconnected pathways that make up the cellular signaling network has been mapped in considerable detail. Nonetheless, it is important to consider how fast this field is still moving and the issues at the current boundaries of our understanding. One must also appreciate what experimental strategies have allowed us to attain our present level of knowledge. We summarize here some key issues (both conceptual and methodological), raise unresolved questions, discuss potential pitfalls, and highlight areas in which our understanding is still rudimentary. We hope these wide-ranging ruminations will be useful to investigators who carry studies of signal transduction forward during the rest of the 21st century.
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35
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Abstract
Astrocytes have been found to play important roles in physiology being fundamental for ionic homeostasis and glutamate clearance from the synaptic cleft by their plasma membrane glutamate transporters. Astrocytes are electrically non-excitable, but they exhibit Ca(2+) signaling, which now has been demonstrated to serve as an indirect mediator of neuron-glia bidirectional interactions through gliotransmission via tripartite synapses and to modulate synaptic function and plasticity. Spontaneous astrocytic Ca(2+) signaling was observed in vivo. Intercellular Ca(2+) waves in astrocytes can be evoked by a variety of stimulations. Astrocytes are critically involved in many pathological conditions including ischemic stroke. For example, it is well known that astrocytes become reactive and form glial scar after stroke. In animal models of some brain disorders, astrocytes have been shown to exhibit enhanced Ca(2+) excitability featured as regenerative intercellular Ca(2+) waves. This chapter briefly summarizes astrocytic Ca(2+) signaling pathways under normal conditions and in experimental in vitro and in vivo ischemic models. It discusses the possible mechanisms and therapeutic implication underlying the enhanced astrocytic Ca(2+) excitability in stroke.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shinghua Ding
- Dalton Cardiovascular Research Center, Department of Bioengineering, University of Missouri-Columbia, 134 Research Park Drive, Columbia, MO, 65211, USA,
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36
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Haustein MD, Kracun S, Lu XH, Shih T, Jackson-Weaver O, Tong X, Xu J, Yang XW, O'Dell TJ, Marvin JS, Ellisman MH, Bushong EA, Looger LL, Khakh BS. Conditions and constraints for astrocyte calcium signaling in the hippocampal mossy fiber pathway. Neuron 2014; 82:413-29. [PMID: 24742463 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuron.2014.02.041] [Citation(s) in RCA: 175] [Impact Index Per Article: 17.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 02/13/2014] [Indexed: 02/04/2023]
Abstract
The spatiotemporal activities of astrocyte Ca²⁺ signaling in mature neuronal circuits remain unclear. We used genetically encoded Ca²⁺ and glutamate indicators as well as pharmacogenetic and electrical control of neurotransmitter release to explore astrocyte activity in the hippocampal mossy fiber pathway. Our data revealed numerous localized, spontaneous Ca²⁺ signals in astrocyte branches and territories, but these were not driven by neuronal activity or glutamate. Moreover, evoked astrocyte Ca²⁺ signaling changed linearly with the number of mossy fiber action potentials. Under these settings, astrocyte responses were global, suppressed by neurotransmitter clearance, and mediated by glutamate and GABA. Thus, astrocyte engagement in the fully developed mossy fiber pathway was slow and territorial, contrary to that frequently proposed for astrocytes within microcircuits. We show that astrocyte Ca²⁺ signaling functionally segregates large volumes of neuropil and that these transients are not suited for responding to, or regulating, single synapses in the mossy fiber pathway.
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Affiliation(s)
- Martin D Haustein
- Department of Physiology, David Geffen School of Medicine, University of California Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA 90095-1751, USA
| | - Sebastian Kracun
- Department of Physiology, David Geffen School of Medicine, University of California Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA 90095-1751, USA
| | - Xiao-Hong Lu
- Center for Neurobehavioral Genetics, Semel Institute for Neuroscience and Human Behavior, David Geffen School of Medicine, University of California Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA 90095-1751, USA
| | - Tiffany Shih
- National Center for Microscopy and Imaging Research and Department of Neurosciences, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, CA 92093, USA
| | - Olan Jackson-Weaver
- Department of Physiology, David Geffen School of Medicine, University of California Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA 90095-1751, USA
| | - Xiaoping Tong
- Department of Physiology, David Geffen School of Medicine, University of California Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA 90095-1751, USA
| | - Ji Xu
- Department of Physiology, David Geffen School of Medicine, University of California Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA 90095-1751, USA
| | - X William Yang
- Center for Neurobehavioral Genetics, Semel Institute for Neuroscience and Human Behavior, David Geffen School of Medicine, University of California Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA 90095-1751, USA
| | - Thomas J O'Dell
- Department of Physiology, David Geffen School of Medicine, University of California Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA 90095-1751, USA
| | - Jonathan S Marvin
- Janelia Farm Research Campus, Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Ashburn, VA 20147, USA
| | - Mark H Ellisman
- National Center for Microscopy and Imaging Research and Department of Neurosciences, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, CA 92093, USA
| | - Eric A Bushong
- National Center for Microscopy and Imaging Research and Department of Neurosciences, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, CA 92093, USA
| | - Loren L Looger
- Janelia Farm Research Campus, Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Ashburn, VA 20147, USA
| | - Baljit S Khakh
- Department of Physiology, David Geffen School of Medicine, University of California Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA 90095-1751, USA; Department of Neurobiology, David Geffen School of Medicine, University of California Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA 90095-1751, USA.
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37
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Xie AX, Lauderdale K, Murphy T, Myers TL, Fiacco TA. Inducing plasticity of astrocytic receptors by manipulation of neuronal firing rates. J Vis Exp 2014. [PMID: 24686723 PMCID: PMC4155624 DOI: 10.3791/51458] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/06/2023] Open
Abstract
Close to two decades of research has established that astrocytes in situ and in vivo express numerous G protein-coupled receptors (GPCRs) that can be stimulated by neuronally-released transmitter. However, the ability of astrocytic receptors to exhibit plasticity in response to changes in neuronal activity has received little attention. Here we describe a model system that can be used to globally scale up or down astrocytic group I metabotropic glutamate receptors (mGluRs) in acute brain slices. Included are methods on how to prepare parasagittal hippocampal slices, construct chambers suitable for long-term slice incubation, bidirectionally manipulate neuronal action potential frequency, load astrocytes and astrocyte processes with fluorescent Ca(2+) indicator, and measure changes in astrocytic Gq GPCR activity by recording spontaneous and evoked astrocyte Ca(2+) events using confocal microscopy. In essence, a "calcium roadmap" is provided for how to measure plasticity of astrocytic Gq GPCRs. Applications of the technique for study of astrocytes are discussed. Having an understanding of how astrocytic receptor signaling is affected by changes in neuronal activity has important implications for both normal synaptic function as well as processes underlying neurological disorders and neurodegenerative disease.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alison X Xie
- Graduate Program in Neuroscience, University of California Riverside
| | - Kelli Lauderdale
- Graduate Program in Neuroscience, University of California Riverside
| | - Thomas Murphy
- Graduate Program in Neuroscience, University of California Riverside
| | - Timothy L Myers
- Graduate Program in Neuroscience, University of California Riverside
| | - Todd A Fiacco
- Department of Cell Biology and Neuroscience, University of California Riverside; Center for Glial-Neuronal Interactions, University of California Riverside;
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38
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Burda JE, Sofroniew MV. Reactive gliosis and the multicellular response to CNS damage and disease. Neuron 2014; 81:229-48. [PMID: 24462092 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuron.2013.12.034] [Citation(s) in RCA: 957] [Impact Index Per Article: 95.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 12/19/2013] [Indexed: 02/07/2023]
Abstract
The CNS is prone to heterogeneous insults of diverse etiologies that elicit multifaceted responses. Acute and focal injuries trigger wound repair with tissue replacement. Diffuse and chronic diseases provoke gradually escalating tissue changes. The responses to CNS insults involve complex interactions among cells of numerous lineages and functions, including CNS intrinsic neural cells, CNS intrinsic nonneural cells, and CNS extrinsic cells that enter from the circulation. The contributions of diverse nonneuronal cell types to outcome after acute injury, or to the progression of chronic disease, are of increasing interest as the push toward understanding and ameliorating CNS afflictions accelerates. In some cases, considerable information is available, in others, comparatively little, as examined and reviewed here.
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Affiliation(s)
- Joshua E Burda
- Department of Neurobiology and Brain Research Institute, University of California Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA 90095-1763, USA
| | - Michael V Sofroniew
- Department of Neurobiology and Brain Research Institute, University of California Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA 90095-1763, USA.
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39
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Diversity of astroglial functions alludes to subcellular specialisation. Trends Neurosci 2014; 37:228-42. [PMID: 24631033 DOI: 10.1016/j.tins.2014.02.008] [Citation(s) in RCA: 63] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/03/2013] [Revised: 02/12/2014] [Accepted: 02/13/2014] [Indexed: 01/23/2023]
Abstract
Rapid signal exchange between astroglia and neurons has emerged as an essential element of neural circuits of the brain. However, the increasing variety of mechanisms contributing to this signalling appears to be facing a conceptual stalemate. The communication medium of astroglia involves intracellular [Ca(2+)] waves, which until recently have been associated with slow, global [Ca(2+)] rises. How such a uniform trigger could handle fast and diverse molecular messages remains unexplained. Recent studies have, however, revealed a variety of apparently independent Ca(2+) activities within individual astrocytic compartments, also indicating the prevalence of subcellular segregation for some signalling mechanisms. These signs of intracellular compartmentalisation might provide the key to the multitude of adaptive roles played by astroglia.
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40
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Davila D, Thibault K, Fiacco TA, Agulhon C. Recent molecular approaches to understanding astrocyte function in vivo. Front Cell Neurosci 2013; 7:272. [PMID: 24399932 PMCID: PMC3871966 DOI: 10.3389/fncel.2013.00272] [Citation(s) in RCA: 35] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/07/2013] [Accepted: 12/06/2013] [Indexed: 12/11/2022] Open
Abstract
Astrocytes are a predominant glial cell type in the nervous systems, and are becoming recognized as important mediators of normal brain function as well as neurodevelopmental, neurological, and neurodegenerative brain diseases. Although numerous potential mechanisms have been proposed to explain the role of astrocytes in the normal and diseased brain, research into the physiological relevance of these mechanisms in vivo is just beginning. In this review, we will summarize recent developments in innovative and powerful molecular approaches, including knockout mouse models, transgenic mouse models, and astrocyte-targeted gene transfer/expression, which have led to advances in understanding astrocyte biology in vivo that were heretofore inaccessible to experimentation. We will examine the recently improved understanding of the roles of astrocytes – with an emphasis on astrocyte signaling – in the context of both the healthy and diseased brain, discuss areas where the role of astrocytes remains debated, and suggest new research directions.
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Affiliation(s)
- David Davila
- Glia-Glia and Glia-Neuron Interactions Group, National Center for Scientific Research, UFR Biomedicale, Paris Descartes University Paris, France
| | - Karine Thibault
- Glia-Glia and Glia-Neuron Interactions Group, National Center for Scientific Research, UFR Biomedicale, Paris Descartes University Paris, France
| | - Todd A Fiacco
- Department of Cell Biology and Neuroscience, and Center for Glial-Neuronal Interactions and Program in Cellular, Molecular and Developmental Biology, University of California at Riverside Riverside, CA, USA
| | - Cendra Agulhon
- Glia-Glia and Glia-Neuron Interactions Group, National Center for Scientific Research, UFR Biomedicale, Paris Descartes University Paris, France
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41
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Anderson MA, Ao Y, Sofroniew MV. Heterogeneity of reactive astrocytes. Neurosci Lett 2013; 565:23-9. [PMID: 24361547 DOI: 10.1016/j.neulet.2013.12.030] [Citation(s) in RCA: 313] [Impact Index Per Article: 28.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/02/2013] [Revised: 12/01/2013] [Accepted: 12/12/2013] [Indexed: 12/31/2022]
Abstract
Astrocytes respond to injury and disease in the central nervous system (CNS) with a process referred to as reactive astrogliosis. Recent progress demonstrates that reactive astrogliosis is not a simple all-or-none phenomenon, but is a finely gradated continuum of changes that range from reversible alterations in gene expression and cell hypertrophy, to scar formation with permanent tissue rearrangement. There is now compelling evidence that reactive astrocytes exhibit a substantial potential for heterogeneity at multiple levels, including gene expression, cell morphology, topography (distance from lesions), CNS regions, local (among neighboring cells), cell signaling and cell function. Structural and functional changes are regulated in reactive astrocytes by many different potential signaling events that occur in a context dependent manner. It is noteworthy that different stimuli of astrocyte reactivity can lead to similar degrees of GFAP upregulation while causing substantially different changes in transcriptome profiles and cell function. Thus, it is not possible to equate simple and uniform measures such as cell hypertrophy and upregulation of GFAP expression with a single, uniform concept of astrocyte reactivity. Instead, it is necessary to recognize the considerable potential for heterogeneity and determine the functional implications of astrocyte reactivity in a context specific manner as regulated by specific signaling events.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mark A Anderson
- Department of Neurobiology, David Geffen School of Medicine, University of California Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA 90095-1763, United States
| | - Yan Ao
- Department of Neurobiology, David Geffen School of Medicine, University of California Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA 90095-1763, United States
| | - Michael V Sofroniew
- Department of Neurobiology, David Geffen School of Medicine, University of California Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA 90095-1763, United States.
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42
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Rapid stimulus-evoked astrocyte Ca2+ elevations and hemodynamic responses in mouse somatosensory cortex in vivo. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 2013; 110:E4678-87. [PMID: 24218625 DOI: 10.1073/pnas.1310065110] [Citation(s) in RCA: 142] [Impact Index Per Article: 12.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Increased neuron and astrocyte activity triggers increased brain blood flow, but controversy exists over whether stimulation-induced changes in astrocyte activity are rapid and widespread enough to contribute to brain blood flow control. Here, we provide evidence for stimulus-evoked Ca(2+) elevations with rapid onset and short duration in a large proportion of cortical astrocytes in the adult mouse somatosensory cortex. Our improved detection of the fast Ca(2+) signals is due to a signal-enhancing analysis of the Ca(2+) activity. The rapid stimulation-evoked Ca(2+) increases identified in astrocyte somas, processes, and end-feet preceded local vasodilatation. Fast Ca(2+) responses in both neurons and astrocytes correlated with synaptic activity, but only the astrocytic responses correlated with the hemodynamic shifts. These data establish that a large proportion of cortical astrocytes have brief Ca(2+) responses with a rapid onset in vivo, fast enough to initiate hemodynamic responses or influence synaptic activity.
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43
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Li D, Agulhon C, Schmidt E, Oheim M, Ropert N. New tools for investigating astrocyte-to-neuron communication. Front Cell Neurosci 2013; 7:193. [PMID: 24194698 PMCID: PMC3810613 DOI: 10.3389/fncel.2013.00193] [Citation(s) in RCA: 42] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/03/2013] [Accepted: 10/07/2013] [Indexed: 12/24/2022] Open
Abstract
Gray matter protoplasmic astrocytes extend very thin processes and establish close contacts with synapses. It has been suggested that the release of neuroactive gliotransmitters at the tripartite synapse contributes to information processing. However, the concept of calcium (Ca2+)-dependent gliotransmitter release from astrocytes, and the release mechanisms are being debated. Studying astrocytes in their natural environment is challenging because: (i) astrocytes are electrically silent; (ii) astrocytes and neurons express an overlapping repertoire of transmembrane receptors; (iii) the size of astrocyte processes in contact with synapses are below the resolution of confocal and two-photon microscopes (iv) bulk-loading techniques using fluorescent Ca2+ indicators lack cellular specificity. In this review, we will discuss some limitations of conventional methodologies and highlight the interest of novel tools and approaches for studying gliotransmission. Genetically encoded Ca2+ indicators (GECIs), light-gated channels, and exogenous receptors are being developed to selectively read out and stimulate astrocyte activity. Our review discusses emerging perspectives on: (i) the complexity of astrocyte Ca2+ signaling revealed by GECIs; (ii) new pharmacogenetic and optogenetic approaches to activate specific Ca2+ signaling pathways in astrocytes; (iii) classical and new techniques to monitor vesicle fusion in cultured astrocytes; (iv) possible strategies to express specifically reporter genes in astrocytes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Dongdong Li
- Biophysics of Gliotransmitter Release Team, Laboratory of Neurophysiology and New Microscopies, INSERM U603, CNRS UMR 8154, University Paris Descartes Paris, France
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44
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Sofroniew MV. Multiple roles for astrocytes as effectors of cytokines and inflammatory mediators. Neuroscientist 2013; 20:160-72. [PMID: 24106265 DOI: 10.1177/1073858413504466] [Citation(s) in RCA: 238] [Impact Index Per Article: 21.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/12/2022]
Abstract
Astrocytes are increasingly recognized as exerting complex functions essential for normal neural activity in the healthy central nervous system (CNS). Because astrocytes also respond to all forms of CNS injury or disease, there is growing interest in how reactive astrogliosis might alter astrocyte functions and thereby affect neural functions. Reactive astrogliosis is heterogeneous and regulated in a context specific manner by different molecular signals. Prominent among astrocyte signaling mechanisms is the ability to respond to, as well as to produce, many different cytokines and inflammatory mediators. These signaling mechanisms enable astrocytes to interact with diverse cell types in ways that may contribute to crosstalk between immune/inflammatory and neural systems. Consistent with this notion is the increasing evidence that cytokines and inflammatory mediators modulate astrocyte signaling not only to influence immune and inflammatory activities in the CNS, but also to influence synaptic and neural functions in ways that may affect complex behaviors such as sickness behavior, pain, appetite, sleep, and mood.
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Affiliation(s)
- Michael V Sofroniew
- 1Department of Neurobiology and Brain Research Institute, University of California, Los Angeles, CA, USA
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45
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Abstract
Astrocytes are the predominant glial cell type in the CNS. Although astrocytes are electrically nonexcitable, their excitability is manifested by their Ca2+ signaling, which serves as a mediator of neuron-glia bidirectional interactions via tripartite synapses. Studies from in vivo two-photon imaging indicate that in healthy animals, the properties of spontaneous astrocytic Ca2+ signaling are affected by animal species, age, wakefulness and the location of astrocytes in the brain. Intercellular Ca2+ waves in astrocytes can be evoked by a variety of stimulations. In animal models of some brain disorders, astrocytes can exhibit enhanced Ca2+ excitability featured as regenerative intercellular Ca2+ waves. This review first briefly summarizes the astrocytic Ca2+ signaling pathway and the procedure of in vivo two-photon Ca2+ imaging of astrocytes. It subsequently summarizes in vivo astrocytic Ca2+ signaling in health and brain disorders from experimental studies of animal models, and discusses the possible mechanisms and therapeutic implications underlying the enhanced Ca2+ excitability in astrocytes in brain disorders. Finally, this review summarizes molecular genetic approaches used to selectively manipulate astrocyte function in vivo and their applications to study the role of astrocytes in synaptic plasticity and brain disorders.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shinghua Ding
- Dalton Cardiovascular Research Center, Department of Biological Engineering, University of Missouri, Columbia, MO 65211, USA
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46
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Afzalov R, Pryazhnikov E, Shih PY, Kondratskaya E, Zobova S, Leino S, Salminen O, Khiroug L, Semyanov A. Low micromolar Ba(2+) potentiates glutamate transporter current in hippocampal astrocytes. Front Cell Neurosci 2013; 7:135. [PMID: 24009556 PMCID: PMC3755269 DOI: 10.3389/fncel.2013.00135] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/31/2012] [Accepted: 08/06/2013] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Glutamate uptake, mediated by electrogenic glutamate transporters largely localized in astrocytes, is responsible for the clearance of glutamate released during excitatory synaptic transmission. Glutamate uptake also determines the availability of glutamate for extrasynaptic glutamate receptors. The efficiency of glutamate uptake is commonly estimated from the amplitude of transporter current recorded in astrocytes. We recorded currents in voltage-clamped hippocampal CA1 stratum radiatum astrocytes in rat hippocampal slices induced by electrical stimulation of the Schaffer collaterals. A Ba(2+)-sensitive K(+) current mediated by inward rectifying potassium channels (Kir) accompanied the transporter current. Surprisingly, Ba(2+) not only suppressed the K(+) current and changed holding current (presumably, mediated by Kir) but also increased the transporter current at lower concentrations. However, Ba(2+) did not significantly increase the uptake of aspartate in cultured astrocytes, suggesting that increase in the amplitude of the transporter current does not always reflect changes in glutamate uptake.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ramil Afzalov
- Neuroscience Center, University of Helsinki Helsinki, Finland ; RIKEN Brain Science Institute Wako-shi, Japan
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TRPA1 channels are regulators of astrocyte basal calcium levels and long-term potentiation via constitutive D-serine release. J Neurosci 2013; 33:10143-53. [PMID: 23761909 DOI: 10.1523/jneurosci.5779-12.2013] [Citation(s) in RCA: 233] [Impact Index Per Article: 21.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/05/2023] Open
Abstract
Astrocytes are found throughout the brain where they make extensive contacts with neurons and synapses. Astrocytes are known to display intracellular Ca(2+) signals and release signaling molecules such as D-serine into the extracellular space. However, the role(s) of astrocyte Ca(2+) signals in hippocampal long-term potentiation (LTP), a form of synaptic plasticity involved in learning and memory, remains unclear. Here, we explored a recently discovered novel TRPA1 channel-mediated transmembrane Ca(2+) flux pathway in astrocytes. Specifically, we determined whether block or genetic deletion of TRPA1 channels affected LTP of Schaffer collateral to CA1 pyramidal neuron synapses. Using pharmacology, TRPA1(-/-) mice, imaging, electrophysiology, and D-serine biosensors, our data indicate that astrocyte TRPA1 channels contribute to basal Ca(2+) levels and are required for constitutive D-serine release into the extracellular space, which contributes to NMDA receptor-dependent LTP. The findings have broad relevance for the study of astrocyte-neuron interactions by demonstrating how TRPA1 channel-mediated fluxes contribute to astrocyte basal Ca(2+) levels and neuronal function via constitutive D-serine release.
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Shigetomi E, Bushong EA, Haustein MD, Tong X, Jackson-Weaver O, Kracun S, Xu J, Sofroniew MV, Ellisman MH, Khakh BS. Imaging calcium microdomains within entire astrocyte territories and endfeet with GCaMPs expressed using adeno-associated viruses. J Gen Physiol 2013; 141:633-47. [PMID: 23589582 PMCID: PMC3639581 DOI: 10.1085/jgp.201210949] [Citation(s) in RCA: 264] [Impact Index Per Article: 24.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/10/2012] [Accepted: 03/18/2013] [Indexed: 11/20/2022] Open
Abstract
Intracellular Ca(2+) transients are considered a primary signal by which astrocytes interact with neurons and blood vessels. With existing commonly used methods, Ca(2+) has been studied only within astrocyte somata and thick branches, leaving the distal fine branchlets and endfeet that are most proximate to neuronal synapses and blood vessels largely unexplored. Here, using cytosolic and membrane-tethered forms of genetically encoded Ca(2+) indicators (GECIs; cyto-GCaMP3 and Lck-GCaMP3), we report well-characterized approaches that overcome these limitations. We used in vivo microinjections of adeno-associated viruses to express GECIs in astrocytes and studied Ca(2+) signals in acute hippocampal slices in vitro from adult mice (aged ∼P80) two weeks after infection. Our data reveal a sparkling panorama of unexpectedly numerous, frequent, equivalently scaled, and highly localized Ca(2+) microdomains within entire astrocyte territories in situ within acute hippocampal slices, consistent with the distribution of perisynaptic branchlets described using electron microscopy. Signals from endfeet were revealed with particular clarity. The tools and experimental approaches we describe in detail allow for the systematic study of Ca(2+) signals within entire astrocytes, including within fine perisynaptic branchlets and vessel-associated endfeet, permitting rigorous evaluation of how astrocytes contribute to brain function.
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Affiliation(s)
- Eiji Shigetomi
- Department of Physiology and 2 Department of Neurobiology, David Geffen School of Medicine, University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA 90095, USA
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