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Dual Electrophysiological Recordings of Synaptically-evoked Astroglial and Neuronal Responses in Acute Hippocampal Slices
Published on: November 26, 2012
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Subcellular calcium dynamics during juvenile development in mouse hippocampal astrocytes
Ryota Nakayama1, Takuya Sasaki1, Kenji F Tanaka2
1Graduate School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, University of Tokyo, Tokyo, Japan.
The European Journal of Neuroscience
|April 5, 2016
Summary
Astrocytes exhibit dynamic changes in their calcium signaling during development. Juvenile astrocytes show larger calcium events and independence from neuronal activity, highlighting developmental plasticity.
Area of Science:
- Neuroscience
- Astrocyte Biology
- Developmental Neuroscience
Background:
- Astrocytes, crucial glial cells, generate calcium signals in their processes, potentially regulating neurotransmission and blood flow.
- Astrocyte morphology, characterized by highly branched processes, matures during the juvenile period.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate developmental alterations in calcium activity patterns within individual hippocampal astrocytes.
- To understand how astrocyte calcium signaling evolves during the juvenile developmental stage.
Main Methods:
- Utilized a transgenic mouse line expressing Yellow Cameleon-Nano50 for selective astrocyte calcium imaging.
- Compared calcium activity in astrocytes at postnatal day 7 versus postnatal day 30.
- Assessed the impact of extracellular calcium removal and neuronal synchronization (sharp waves) on astrocyte calcium events.
Main Results:
- Astrocytes at postnatal day 30 exhibited larger subcellular calcium events and a higher proportion of somatic events compared to postnatal day 7.
- Astrocyte calcium activity was dependent on extracellular calcium ions.
- Calcium events in late juvenile astrocytes were unaffected by neuronal sharp waves, indicating functional independence.
Conclusions:
- Astrocyte calcium signaling undergoes significant dynamic changes throughout juvenile development.
- These findings reveal developmental plasticity in astrocyte activity patterns, independent of synchronized neuronal firing.
