Glial Intercellular Waves

Andrew Charles^*

Department of Neurology, David Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA, 710 Westwood Plaza, Los Angeles, CA 90095, USA.

Abstract: Glial cells have long been assigned a supporting role in the nervous system, in which they help maintain and modulate neuronal metabolism. However, recent attention has focused on the ability of astrocytes to propagate long-range calcium signals and actively communicate with each other, as well as with neurons and vascular cells. Synaptic activity in neurons triggers an increase in the intracellular calcium concentration ([Ca²⁺]_i) of neighboring astrocytes, stimulating the release of ATP and glutamate. The released ATP stimulates an increase in [Ca²⁺]_i in neighboring astrocytes so that a "calcium wave" is propagated from cell to cell. Released glutamate is cotransported with Na⁺ into neighboring cells; thus, glutamate uptake leads to an increase in astrocyte intracellular sodium concentration ([Na⁺]_i) that is also propagated from cell to cell. This increase in [Na⁺]_i stimulates an increase in glucose uptake and metabolism that leads to the formation of lactate, which is delivered to nearby--and perhaps distant--neurons as an energy substrate. Thus, long-range intercellular calcium signaling in astrocytes may enable them to spatially coordinate their function in supporting neuronal metabolism.

*Contact information. E-mail, acharles{at}ucla.edu

The editors suggest the following Related Resources on Science sites:

In Science Signaling

EDITORS' CHOICE
Neuroscience
Food for Thought

L. Bryan Ray (16 December 2008)
Sci. Signal. 1 (50), ec437. [DOI: 10.1126/scisignal.150ec437]
 |  Abstract »

PERSPECTIVES
Reaching Out Beyond the Synapse: Glial Intercellular Waves Coordinate Metabolism

Andrew Charles (8 February 2005)
Sci. STKE 2005 (270), pe6. [DOI: 10.1126/stke.2702005pe6]
 |  Abstract »  |  Full Text »  |  PDF »  |  Animation »

THIS ARTICLE HAS BEEN CITED BY OTHER ARTICLES: