GSBS Student Publications
Title
Activity-dependent regulation of astrocyte GAT levels during synaptogenesis
GSBS Program
Neuroscience
UMMS Affiliation
Department of Neurobiology; Freeman Lab; Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences, Neuroscience Program
Date
10-2014
Document Type
Article
Medical Subject Headings
Analysis of Variance; Animals; Animals, Genetically Modified; Astrocytes; Drosophila; Drosophila Proteins; GABAergic Neurons; Luminescent Proteins; Microscopy, Confocal; Microscopy, Electron, Transmission; Neurogenesis; Neurons; Paralysis; Peptides; Physical Stimulation; Synapses; Temperature; Transcription Factors
Disciplines
Developmental Neuroscience | Molecular and Cellular Neuroscience
Abstract
Astrocytic uptake of GABA through GABA transporters (GATs) is an important mechanism regulating excitatory/inhibitory balance in the nervous system; however, mechanisms by which astrocytes regulate GAT levels are undefined. We found that at mid-pupal stages the Drosophila melanogaster CNS neuropil was devoid of astrocyte membranes and synapses. Astrocyte membranes subsequently infiltrated the neuropil coordinately with synaptogenesis, and astrocyte ablation reduced synapse numbers by half, indicating that Drosophila astrocytes are pro-synaptogenic. Shortly after synapses formed in earnest, GAT was upregulated in astrocytes. Ablation or silencing of GABAergic neurons or disruption of metabotropic GABA receptor 1 and 2 (GABA(B)R1/2) signaling in astrocytes led to a decrease in astrocytic GAT. Notably, developmental depletion of astrocytic GABA(B)R1/2 signaling suppressed mechanosensory-induced seizure activity in mutants with hyperexcitable neurons. These data reveal that astrocytes actively modulate GAT expression via metabotropic GABA receptor signaling and highlight the importance of precise regulation of astrocytic GAT in modulation of seizure activity.
Rights and Permissions
Citation: Nat Neurosci. 2014 Oct;17(10):1340-50. doi: 10.1038/nn.3791. Epub 2014 Aug 24. Link to article on publisher's site
DOI of Published Version
10.1038/nn.3791
Related Resources
Journal Title
Nature neuroscience
PubMed ID
25151265
Repository Citation
Muthukumar, Allie; Stork, Tobias; and Freeman, Marc R., "Activity-dependent regulation of astrocyte GAT levels during synaptogenesis" (2014). GSBS Student Publications. 1873.
https://escholarship.umassmed.edu/gsbs_sp/1873