Regulation of heterosynaptic plasticity by glial cells in the CNS

神经系统中的信息传递主要是由神经元通过快速化学突触相互通信来调节的。现已证实，快速化学突触释放的神经递质具有高度的可塑性。也就是说，神经递质在给定时间的释放受到突触先前活动的影响。在过去的十年里，大量的证据表明，神经胶质细胞是活跃的、动态的，并参与了与神经元的密切相互作用。现在很清楚，神经胶质细胞对神经元活动和突触传递很敏感。在之前的资助期间，我们发现星形胶质细胞介导了大鼠海马区的异型突触可塑性，这是一种短期突触可塑性现象。它们通过GABAB受体在Schaffer侧支突触的谷氨酸能突触前终末传递来自抑制性中间神经元的信息。这项建议是这项工作的延续，其主要目标是：

Transfer of information in the nervous system is mediated primarily by neurons communicating with each other through fast chemical synapses. It is now well established that the release of neurotransmitter at fast chemical synapses is characterized by a high level of plasticity. That is, that the release of neurotransmitter at a given time is influenced by the previous activity of the synapse. In the past decade, a large body of evidence has been obtained indicating that glial cells are active, dynamic and involved in close interactions with neurons. It is now clear that glial cells are sensitive to neuronal activity and synaptic transmission. During the previous funding period, we showed that astrocytes mediate hetero-synaptic plasticity in rat hippocampus, a short-term synaptic plasticity phenomenon. They relay information from inhibitory interneurons, through GABAB receptors, on the glutamatergic presynaptic terminals at the Schaffer collateral synapses. This proposal is a continuity of this work where the major goal is: