Astrocytes in Memory Function: Pioneering Findings and Future Directions

Adamsky, Adar; Goshen, Inbal

doi:10.1016/j.neuroscience.2017.05.033

Cited by 64 publications

(43 citation statements)

References 161 publications

Supporting

Mentioning

Contrasting

Order By: Relevance

“…Most importantly, while the phagocytic activity of the repopulated hippocampal microglia was not different from that of wt animals, astrocytes in the same region phagocytosed twice as many microbeads. Astrocytes also communicate with neurons and have recently been shown to regulate synaptic formation, transmission, and plasticity; enhancing learning and memory [52][53][54][55][56][57]. For instance, astrocyte activation in the CA1 can enhance learning-specific neuronal activation and memory recall [56].…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Glial remodeling enhances short-term memory performance in Wistar rats

Luca

Soch

Sominsky

et al. 2020

J Neuroinflammation

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

Background: Microglia play a key role in neuronal circuit and synaptic maturation in the developing brain. In the healthy adult, however, their role is less clear: microglial hyperactivation in adults can be detrimental to memory due to excessive synaptic pruning, yet learning and memory can also be impaired in the absence of these cells. In this study, we therefore aimed to determine how microglia contribute to short-term memory in healthy adults. Methods: To this end, we developed a Cx3cr1-Dtr transgenic Wistar rat with a diphtheria toxin receptor (Dtr) gene inserted into the fractalkine receptor (Cx3cr1) promoter, expressed on microglia and monocytes. This model allows acute microglial and monocyte ablation upon application of diphtheria toxin, enabling us to directly assess microglia's role in memory.Results: Here, we show that short-term memory in the novel object and place recognition tasks is entirely unaffected by acute microglial ablation. However, when microglia repopulate the brain after depletion, learning and memory performance in these tasks is improved. This transitory memory enhancement is associated with an ameboid morphology in the newly repopulated microglial cells and increased astrocyte density that are linked with a higher density of mature hippocampal synaptic spines and differences in pre-and post-synaptic markers. Conclusions:These data indicate that glia play a complex role in the healthy adult animal in supporting appropriate learning and memory and that subtle changes to the function of these cells may strategically enhance memory.

show abstract

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Glial remodeling enhances short-term memory performance in Wistar rats

Luca

Soch

Sominsky

et al. 2020

J Neuroinflammation

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

show abstract

“…However, in addition to neurons, the brain comprises many types of cells and systems, including glia and vascular systems. Recent investigations have begun to assess the role of non‐neuronal cells in long‐term memory, and provided clear evidence that all glial cell types (i.e., astrocytes, oligodendrocytes and microglia) play critical roles in memory processing (Adamsky & Goshen, ; Fields, ; Gibbs, Hutchinson, & Hertz, ; Lee et al, ; Moraga‐Amaro, Jerez‐Baraona, Simon, & Stehberg, ; Parkhurst Christopher et al, ; Suzuki et al, ).…”

Section: Long‐term Memory and Its Underlying Neuron‐centric Biologicamentioning

confidence: 99%

Astrocyte glycogen and lactate: New insights into learning and memory mechanisms

Alberini

Cruz

Descalzi

et al. 2017

Glia

214

149

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

Memory, the ability to retain learned information, is necessary for survival. Thus far, molecular and cellular investigations of memory formation and storage have mainly focused on neuronal mechanisms. In addition to neurons, however, the brain comprises other types of cells and systems, including glia and vasculature. Accordingly, recent experimental work has begun to ask questions about the roles of non-neuronal cells in memory formation. These studies provide evidence that all types of glial cells (astrocytes, oligodendrocytes, and microglia) make important contributions to the processing of encoded information and storing memories. In this review, we summarize and discuss recent findings on the critical role of astrocytes as providers of energy for the long-lasting neuronal changes that are necessary for long-term memory formation. We focus on three main findings: first, the role of glucose metabolism and the learning- and activity-dependent metabolic coupling between astrocytes and neurons in the service of long-term memory formation; second, the role of astrocytic glucose metabolism in arousal, a state that contributes to the formation of very long-lasting and detailed memories; and finally, in light of the high energy demands of the brain during early development, we will discuss the possible role of astrocytic and neuronal glucose metabolisms in the formation of early-life memories. We conclude by proposing future directions and discussing the implications of these findings for brain health and disease. Astrocyte glycogenolysis and lactate play a critical role in memory formation. Emotionally salient experiences form strong memories by recruiting astrocytic β2 adrenergic receptors and astrocyte-generated lactate. Glycogenolysis and astrocyte-neuron metabolic coupling may also play critical roles in memory formation during development, when the energy requirements of brain metabolism are at their peak.

show abstract

“…Finally, and surprisingly, it has been recently reported that astrocytic activation is not only necessary for synaptic plasticity, but also sufficient to induce NMDA-dependent long-term potentiation (LTP) in the hippocampus [22,105].…”

Section: The Role Of Glial Cells In Memorymentioning

confidence: 99%

Cell-to-Cell Communication in Learning and Memory: From Neuro- and Glio-Transmission to Information Exchange Mediated by Extracellular Vesicles

Schiera

Liegro

2019

IJMS

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

Most aspects of nervous system development and function rely on the continuous crosstalk between neurons and the variegated universe of non-neuronal cells surrounding them. The most extraordinary property of this cellular community is its ability to undergo adaptive modifications in response to environmental cues originating from inside or outside the body. Such ability, known as neuronal plasticity, allows long-lasting modifications of the strength, composition and efficacy of the connections between neurons, which constitutes the biochemical base for learning and memory. Nerve cells communicate with each other through both wiring (synaptic) and volume transmission of signals. It is by now clear that glial cells, and in particular astrocytes, also play critical roles in both modes by releasing different kinds of molecules (e.g., D-serine secreted by astrocytes). On the other hand, neurons produce factors that can regulate the activity of glial cells, including their ability to release regulatory molecules. In the last fifteen years it has been demonstrated that both neurons and glial cells release extracellular vesicles (EVs) of different kinds, both in physiologic and pathological conditions. Here we discuss the possible involvement of EVs in the events underlying learning and memory, in both physiologic and pathological conditions.

show abstract

Astrocytes in Memory Function: Pioneering Findings and Future Directions

Cited by 64 publications

References 161 publications

Glial remodeling enhances short-term memory performance in Wistar rats

Glial remodeling enhances short-term memory performance in Wistar rats

Astrocyte glycogen and lactate: New insights into learning and memory mechanisms

Cell-to-Cell Communication in Learning and Memory: From Neuro- and Glio-Transmission to Information Exchange Mediated by Extracellular Vesicles

Contact Info

Product

Resources

About