Astrocytes integrate time and space
Justin Lines
Abstract：Astrocytes read and react to synaptic transmission through tripartite synapses, where the binding of neurotransmitters onto astrocytic receptors triggers an increase in intracellular calcium. Recent investigations have revealed that astrocytes exhibit two distinct states of intracellular calcium activity: (1) graded subcellular localized clusters with independently active microdomains, likely influenced by nearby synaptic events, and (2) whole-cell astrocyte calcium surges, believed to result from the coordinated activation of multiple synapses. Notably, astrocyte calcium responses are not solely graded; instead, a spatial threshold of intracellular calcium activity can be overcome to elicit an astrocyte calcium surge. Together these calcium responses, in turn, initiate downstream signaling pathways capable of modifying synaptic communication and overall network activity. In summary, astrocytes can function as integrators of local synaptic events, actively contributing to information processing within the brain.
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Publication Date：2025-02-27
Online Publishing Date：2025-08-15(First online date of this platform, not the publication date of the document)
Pages：2( 467-468 )