Physiology of Astroglia

Verkhratsky, Alexei; Nedergaard, Maiken

doi:10.1152/physrev.00042.2016

Cited by 1,259 publications

(1,199 citation statements)

References 1,936 publications

(2,109 reference statements)

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“…Astrocytes provide homoeostatic control over all levels, from molecular to organ, of organisation of the brain and the spinal cord (Verkhratsky & Nedergaard, 2017). Perisynaptic processes of astroglial cells cover >50% of synapses in the CNS, creating the synaptic cradle that controls synaptogenesis, synaptic maturation, synaptic maintenance and synaptic extinction (Verkhratsky & Nedergaard, 2014, 2016).…”

Section: Astroglial Na+ and Ca2+ Signalling Regulates Homeostatic Supmentioning

confidence: 99%

Crosslink between calcium and sodium signalling

Verkhratsky

Trebak

Perocchi

et al. 2018

Experimental Physiology

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Transmembrane ionic gradients, which are an indispensable feature of life, are used for generation of cytosolic ionic signals that regulate a host of cellular functions. Intracellular signalling mediated by Ca and Na is tightly linked through several molecular pathways that generate Ca and Na fluxes and are in turn regulated by both ions. Transient receptor potential (TRP) channels bridge endoplasmic reticulum Ca release with generation of Na and Ca currents. The plasmalemmal Na -Ca exchanger (NCX) flickers between forward and reverse mode to co-ordinate the influx and efflux of both ions with membrane polarization and cytosolic ion concentrations. The mitochondrial calcium uniporter channel (MCU) and mitochondrial Na -Ca exchanger (NCLX) mediate Ca entry into and release from this organelle and couple cytosolic Ca and Na fluctuations with cellular energetics. Cellular Ca and Na signalling controls numerous functional responses and, in the CNS, provides for fast regulation of astroglial homeostatic cascades that are crucial for maintenance of synaptic transmission.

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Section: Astroglial Na+ and Ca2+ Signalling Regulates Homeostatic Supmentioning

confidence: 99%

Crosslink between calcium and sodium signalling

Verkhratsky

Trebak

Perocchi

et al. 2018

Experimental Physiology

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“…They can be classified into protoplasmic astrocytes of the grey matter, interlaminar astrocytes of the cerebral cortex, subpial astrocytes of the cerebral cortex, fibrous astrocytes of the white matter, perivascular astrocytes, Bergmann glia, stem astrocytes of subventricular zones, radial glia of the developing brain, tanycytes of the hypothalamus, pituicytes and Müller glia of the retina [116]. Moreover, they are heterogeneous with respect to their coverage domains, ion channels, calcium responses, glutamate transporters and expression of neurotransmitter receptors [92,132].…”

Section: Astrocytopathymentioning

confidence: 99%

Astrogliopathy in Tauopathies

Ferrer

2018

Neuroglia

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Astrocytes are involved in many diseases of the central nervous system, not only as reactive cells to neuronal damage but also as primary actors in the pathological process. Astrogliopathy is a term used to designate the involvement of astrocytes as key elements in the pathogenesis and pathology of diseases and injuries of the central nervous system. Astrocytopathy is utilized to name non-reactive astrogliosis covering hypertrophy, atrophy and astroglial degeneration with loss of function in astrocytes and pathological remodeling, as well as senescent changes. Astrogliopathy and astrocytopathy are hallmarks of tauopathies-neurodegenerative diseases with abnormal hyper-phosphorylated tau aggregates in neurons and glial cells. The involvement of astrocytes covers different disease-specific types such as tufted astrocytes, astrocytic plaques, thorn-shaped astrocytes, granular/fuzzy astrocytes, ramified astrocytes and astrocytes with globular inclusions, as well as others which are unnamed but not uncommon in familial frontotemporal degeneration linked to mutations in the tau gene. Knowledge of molecular differences among tau-containing astrocytes is only beginning, and their distinct functional implications remain rather poorly understood. However, tau-containing astrocytes in certain conditions have deleterious effects on neuronal function and nervous system integrity. Moreover, recent studies have shown that tau-containing astrocytes obtained from human brain tauopathies have a capacity for abnormal tau seeding and spreading in wild type mice. Inclusive conceptions include a complex scenario involving neurons, glial cells and local environmental factors that potentiate each other and promote disease progression in tauopathies.

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“…Neuroglia 2018, 1, 3 11 of 14 performance improvement in a spatial delayed response task was observed, although it failed to modify perseveration in an object retrieval detour task, or to improve motor clinical rating. These observations suggest the possibility of dissociating brain circuits that are subserving various motor and cognitive performances.…”

Section: Diffusible Factors Released By Astrogliamentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Thorough updates, comprehensive reviews, and inspirational thoughts on other related aspects of glial physiology can be found in Kettenmann and Ransom (2005), Verkhratsky and Butt (2013), and Verkhratsky and Nedergaard (2018) [1][2][3], as well as in numerous individual articles, for it, seems evident that experimental research on neuroglia has entered an era of further fertile analysis. Yet, as it will be considered later, caution and weighed decisions should be exerted in attempting interspecies extrapolations-in the present context referred to brain glia-and building our understanding of human and non-human primate brain organization and phyisology based on what can be considered Note dense packing of glial fibrillary acidic protein-immunoreactivity (GFAP-IR) astroglial processes, the relative height of the band of processes and the frequent appearance of slender bulbous endings.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Neuroglia 2018, 1, 3 5 of 14 palisade after 11-13 months following spinal cord transection-with a lack of evidence of additional astrogliosis-and a somewhat "wavy" individual process display [24], suggests a rather long-term impact on the rearrangement of the local neuropil, or that it acquired a new steady state condition following lesioning, with loss or perturbation of the original columnar arrangement, and perhaps sharing an expanded spatial monitoring due to local disruption of the columnar modules. Quite interestingly, following cortical lesioning or, most clearly, under cerebral cortex pathological conditions (such as Alzheimer's disease or advanced Down's syndrome), or aging, interlaminar glia do not show reactive forms (in contrast to parenchymal astrocytes), but rather disappear [19,27], tending to lose their characteristic, ordered, lay out of long interlaminar processes, or to acquire increased bulbous endings (Figures 3 and 4, and [28]).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Interlaminar Glia and Other Glial Themes Revisited: Pending Answers Following Three Decades of Glial Research

Colombo

2018

Neuroglia

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This review aims to highlight the various significant matters in glial research stemming from personal work by the author and associates at the Unit of Applied Neurobiology (UNA, CEMIC-CONICET), and some of the pending questions. A reassessment and further comments on interlaminar astrocytes-an astroglial cell type that is specific to humans and other non-human primates, and is not found in rodents, is presented. Tentative hypothesis regarding their function and future possible research lines that could contribute to further the analysis of their development and possible role(s), are suggested. The possibility that they function as a separate entity from the "territorial" astrocytes, is also considered. In addition, the potential significance of our observations on interspecies differences in in vitro glial cell dye coupling, on glial diffusible factors affecting the induction of this glial phenotype, and on their interference with the cellular toxic effects of cerebrospinal fluid obtained from L-DOPA treated patients with Parkinson´s disease, is also considered. The major differences oberved in the cerebral cortex glial layout between human and rodents-the main model for studying glial function and pathology-calls for a careful assessment of known and potential species differences in all aspects of glial cell biology. This is essential to provide a better understanding of the organization and function of human and non-human primate brain, and of the neurobiological basis of their behavior.

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Physiology of Astroglia

Cited by 1,259 publications

References 1,936 publications

Crosslink between calcium and sodium signalling

Crosslink between calcium and sodium signalling

Astrogliopathy in Tauopathies

Interlaminar Glia and Other Glial Themes Revisited: Pending Answers Following Three Decades of Glial Research

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