Science Signaling Podcast: 10 April 2012

Maiken Nedergaard¹, Katsuhiko Mikoshiba^2,3, and Annalisa M. VanHook⁴

¹ Division of Glia Disease and Therapeutics, Center for Translational Neuromedicine, Department of Neurosurgery, University of Rochester Medical School, Rochester, NY 14640, USA.
² Laboratory for Developmental Neurobiology, Brain Science Institute, RIKEN, 2-1 Hirosawa, Wako, Saitama 351-0198, Japan.
³ Calcium Oscillation Project, ICORP-SORST, Japan Science and Technology Agency, Kawaguchi, Saitama 332-0012, Japan.
⁴ Web Editor, Science Signaling, American Association for the Advancement of Science, 1200 New York Avenue, NW, Washington, DC 20005, USA.

Abstract: This Podcast features conversations with the authors of two Research Articles published in the 3 April 2012 issue of Science Signaling. Groups led by Maiken Nedergaard and Katsuhiko Mikoshiba published new findings about how calcium signaling in astocytes modulates synaptic activity. Astrocytes are electrically nonexcitable, nonneuronal cells that can generate calcium waves that regulate synaptic activity and local blood flow. Nedergaard’s group found that astrocytes modulated synaptic activity by altering local concentrations of extracellular K⁺. Mikoshiba’s group reported that calcium signals are generated in the processes of astrocytes independently of the soma (cell body). This compartmentalization of calcium signals suggests that different processes of the same astrocyte may regulate target cells independently of one another and of the soma.

The editors suggest the following Related Resources on Science sites:

In Science Signaling

RESEARCH ARTICLES
Neuroscience
Astrocytes Modulate Neural Network Activity by Ca²⁺-Dependent Uptake of Extracellular K⁺

Fushun Wang, Nathan A. Smith, Qiwu Xu, Takumi Fujita, Akemichi Baba, Toshio Matsuda, Takahiro Takano, Lane Bekar, and Maiken Nedergaard (3 April 2012)
Sci. Signal. 5 (218), ra26. [DOI: 10.1126/scisignal.2002334]
 |  Editor's Summary »  |  Abstract »  |  Full Text »  |  PDF »  |  Supplementary Materials »

RESEARCH ARTICLES
Glia
Receptor-Selective Diffusion Barrier Enhances Sensitivity of Astrocytic Processes to Metabotropic Glutamate Receptor Stimulation

Misa Arizono, Hiroko Bannai, Kyoko Nakamura, Fumihiro Niwa, Masahiro Enomoto, Toru Matsu-ura, Akitoshi Miyamoto, Mark W. Sherwood, Takeshi Nakamura, and Katsuhiko Mikoshiba (3 April 2012)
Sci. Signal. 5 (218), ra27. [DOI: 10.1126/scisignal.2002498]
 |  Editor's Summary »  |  Abstract »  |  Full Text »  |  PDF »  |  Supplementary Materials »

RESEARCH ARTICLES
Neuroscience
Extracellular Ca²⁺ Acts as a Mediator of Communication from Neurons to Glia

Arnulfo Torres, Fushun Wang, Qiwu Xu, Takumi Fujita, Radoslaw Dobrowolski, Klaus Willecke, Takahiro Takano, and Maiken Nedergaard (24 January 2012)
Sci. Signal. 5 (208), ra8. [DOI: 10.1126/scisignal.2002160]
 |  Editor's Summary »  |  Abstract »  |  Full Text »  |  PDF »  |  Supplementary Materials »

EDITORIAL GUIDES
Neuroscience
Focus Issue: Getting Excited About Glia

Elizabeth M. Adler (9 November 2010)
Sci. Signal. 3 (147), eg11. [DOI: 10.1126/scisignal.3147eg11]
 |  Abstract »  |  Full Text »  |  PDF »

PODCASTS
Neuroscience
Science Signaling Podcast: 9 November 2010

R. Douglas Fields and Annalisa M. VanHook (9 November 2010)
Sci. Signal. 3 (147), pc20. [DOI: 10.1126/scisignal.3147pc20]
 |  Abstract »  |  Full Text »  |  Podcast »

RESEARCH ARTICLES
Neuroscience
Nonsynaptic Communication Through ATP Release from Volume-Activated Anion Channels in Axons

R. Douglas Fields and Yingchun Ni (5 October 2010)
Sci. Signal. 3 (142), ra73. [DOI: 10.1126/scisignal.2001128]
 |  Editor's Summary »  |  Abstract »  |  Full Text »  |  PDF »  |  Supplementary Materials »