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Updated: Apr 5, 2026

Visualizing Shifts on Neuron-Glia Circuit with the Calcium Imaging Technique
Published on: April 8, 2022
Neuron-glia signaling in developing retina mediated by neurotransmitter spillover
Juliana M Rosa1, Rémi Bos1, Georgeann S Sack1
1Department of Molecular and Cell Biology, University of California, Berkeley, Berkeley, United States.
Abstract:
Neuron-glia interactions play a critical role in the maturation of neural circuits; however, little is known about the pathways that mediate their communication in the developing CNS. We investigated neuron-glia signaling in the developing retina, where we demonstrate that retinal waves reliably induce calcium transients in Müller glial cells (MCs). During cholinergic waves, MC calcium transients were blocked by muscarinic acetylcholine receptor antagonists, whereas during glutamatergic waves, MC calcium transients were inhibited by ionotropic glutamate receptor antagonists, indicating that the responsiveness of MCs changes to match the neurotransmitter used to support retinal waves. Using an optical glutamate sensor we show that the decline in MC calcium transients is caused by a reduction in the amount of glutamate reaching MCs. Together, these studies indicate that neurons and MCs exhibit correlated activity during a critical period of retinal maturation that is enabled by neurotransmitter spillover from retinal synapses.
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