Diversity of astrocyte functions and phenotypes in neural circuits

• Published in: Nature neuroscience Vol. 18; no. 7; pp. 942 - 952
• Main Authors: Khakh, Baljit S, Sofroniew, Michael V
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: New York Nature Publishing Group US 01.07.2015; Nature Publishing Group
• Subjects: 13; 13/51; 14; 14/19; 14/69; 38; 631/378/2596/1308; 9/74; Analysis; Animal Genetics and Genomics; Animals; Astrocytes - cytology; Astrocytes - metabolism; Astrocytes - physiology; Behavioral Sciences; Biological Techniques; Biomedicine; Brain; Central Nervous System Diseases - metabolism; Central Nervous System Diseases - pathology; Central Nervous System Diseases - physiopathology; Genetic aspects; Neural circuitry; Neurobiology; Neuroglia; Neurons; Neurosciences; Phenotype; Physiological aspects; Physiology; review-article; Signal Transduction - physiology; California; Los Angeles California; United States > US
• ISSN: 1097-6256; 1546-1726
• DOI: 10.1038/nn.4043

This Review article by Baljit Khakh and Michael Sofroniew discusses the latest progress in demonstration of molecular, cellular and functional heterogeneity of astrocytes in the central nervous system. The article highlights the way in which this diversity within and across astrocytes can affect normal function of the brain differently, and discusses pathological conditions where astrocyte heterogeneity is instrumental in manifesting various aspects of CNS dysfunction. Astrocytes tile the entire CNS. They are vital for neural circuit function, but have traditionally been viewed as simple, homogenous cells that serve the same essential supportive roles everywhere. Here, we summarize breakthroughs that instead indicate that astrocytes represent a population of complex and functionally diverse cells. Physiological diversity of astrocytes is apparent between different brain circuits and microcircuits, and individual astrocytes display diverse signaling in subcellular compartments. With respect to injury and disease, astrocytes undergo diverse phenotypic changes that may be protective or causative with regard to pathology in a context-dependent manner. These new insights herald the concept that astrocytes represent a diverse population of genetically tractable cells that mediate neural circuit–specific roles in health and disease.