Note to users. If you're seeing this message, it means that your browser cannot find this page's style/presentation instructions -- or possibly that you are using a browser that does not support current Web standards. Find out more about why this message is appearing, and what you can do to make your experience of our site the best it can be.

Sci. Signal., 14 August 2012
Vol. 5, Issue 237, p. ec217
[DOI: 10.1126/scisignal.2003500]

EDITORS' CHOICE

Neuroscience Crucial Cerebellar Glial Cells

Peter R. Stern

Science, AAAS, Cambridge CB2 1LQ, UK

The role of glial cells and their interaction with neurons in normal behavior is unclear. To address this question, Saab et al. studied a special type of glial cell in the cerebellum. Conditional mutant mice were produced in which the two glutamate receptor subunits normally present in Bergmann glial cells were efficiently ablated in a temporally controlled manner. Glutamate signaling of the glial cells contributed to the structural and functional integrity of the cerebellar network. Bergmann glial cells also played a role in the "fine-tuning" of neuronal processing, which is crucial for the fast and precise control of complex motor behavior.

A. S. Saab, A. Neumeyer, H. M. Jahn, A. Cupido, A. A. M. Simek, H.-J. Boele, A. Scheller, K. Le Meur, M. Götz, H. Monyer, R. Sprengel, M. E. Rubio, J. W. Deitmer, C. I. De Zeeuw, F. Kirchhoff, Bergmann glial AMPA receptors are required for fine motor coordination. Science 337, 749–753 (2012). [Abstract] [Full Text]

Citation: P. R. Stern, Crucial Cerebellar Glial Cells. Sci. Signal. 5, ec217 (2012).

To Advertise     Find Products

Science Signaling. ISSN 1937-9145 (online), 1945-0877 (print). Pre-2008: Science's STKE. ISSN 1525-8882