Gliotransmitters Travel in Time and Space
Neuron. 2014-02-01; 81(4): 728-739
DOI: 10.1016/j.neuron.2014.02.007
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1. Neuron. 2014 Feb 19;81(4):728-39. doi: 10.1016/j.neuron.2014.02.007.
Gliotransmitters travel in time and space.
Araque A(1), Carmignoto G(2), Haydon PG(3), Oliet SH(4), Robitaille R(5),
Volterra A(6).
Author information:
(1)Instituto Cajal, Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas, 28002
Madrid, Spain; Department of Neuroscience, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis,
MN 55455, USA.
(2)Istituto di Neuroscienze, Consiglio Nazionale delle Ricerche and Dipartimento
Scienze Biomediche, Università di Padova, 35121 Padova, Italy. Electronic
address: .
(3)Department of Neuroscience, Tufts University School of Medicine, Boston, MA
02111, USA.
(4)Inserm U862, Neurocentre Magendie, 33077 Bordeaux, France; Université de
Bordeaux, 33077 Bordeaux, France.
(5)Département de Neurosciences, Université de Montréal, Montréal, QC H3C 3J7,
Canada; Groupe de Recherche sur le Système Nerveux Central, Université de
Montréal, Montréal, QC H3C 3J7, Canada.
(6)Département de Neurosciences Fondamentales (DNF), Faculté de Biologie et de
Médecine, Université de Lausanne, 1005 Lausanne, Switzerland.
The identification of the presence of active signaling between astrocytes and
neurons in a process termed gliotransmission has caused a paradigm shift in our
thinking about brain function. However, we are still in the early days of the
conceptualization of how astrocytes influence synapses, neurons, networks, and
ultimately behavior. In this Perspective, our goal is to identify emerging
principles governing gliotransmission and consider the specific properties of
this process that endow the astrocyte with unique functions in brain signal
integration. We develop and present hypotheses aimed at reconciling confounding
reports and define open questions to provide a conceptual framework for future
studies. We propose that astrocytes mainly signal through high-affinity slowly
desensitizing receptors to modulate neurons and perform integration in
spatiotemporal domains complementary to those of neurons.
Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.
DOI: 10.1016/j.neuron.2014.02.007
PMCID: PMC4107238
PMID: 24559669 [Indexed for MEDLINE]