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- Title
Astrocytes revisited: concise historic outlook on glutamate homeostasis and signaling.
- Authors
Parpura, Vladimir; Verkhratsky, Alexei
- Abstract
Astroglia is a main type of brain neuroglia, which includes many cell sub-types that differ in their morphology and physiological properties and yet are united by the main function, which is the maintenance of brain homeostasis. Astrocytes employ a variety of mechanisms for communicating with neuronal networks. The communication mediated by neurotransmitter glutamate has received a particular attention. Glutamate is de novo synthesized exclusively in astrocytes; astroglia-derived glutamine is the source of glutamate for neurons. Glutamate is released from both neurons and astroglia through exocytosls, although various other mechanisms may also play a role. Glutamateactivated specific receptors trigger excitatory responses in neurons and astroglia. Here we overview main properties of glutamaterglc transmission In neuronal-glial networks and identify some future challenges facing the field.
- Subjects
ASTROCYTES; GLUTAMIC acid; HOMEOSTASIS; CELLULAR signal transduction; NEUROGLIA; CELL morphology; BIOLOGICAL neural networks
- Publication
Croatian Medical Journal, 2012, Vol 53, Issue 6, p518
- ISSN
0353-9504
- Publication type
Article
- DOI
10.3325/cmj.2012.53.518