scholarly journals Glial Cell AMPA Receptors in Nervous System Health, Injury and Disease

2019 ◽  
Vol 20 (10) ◽  
pp. 2450 ◽  
Author(s):  
Maria Ceprian ◽  
Daniel Fulton
Keyword(s):  
Nervous System ◽  
Glial Cell ◽  
Glial Cells ◽  
Ampa Receptors ◽  
Central Component ◽  
Neural Cells ◽  
Cellular Functions ◽  
Healthy Development ◽  
Wide Range ◽  
And Function

Glia form a central component of the nervous system whose varied activities sustain an environment that is optimised for healthy development and neuronal function. Alpha-amino-3-hydroxy-5-methyl-4-isoxazole (AMPA)-type glutamate receptors (AMPAR) are a central mediator of glutamatergic excitatory synaptic transmission, yet they are also expressed in a wide range of glial cells where they influence a variety of important cellular functions. AMPAR enable glial cells to sense the activity of neighbouring axons and synapses, and as such many aspects of glial cell development and function are influenced by the activity of neural circuits. However, these AMPAR also render glia sensitive to elevations of the extracellular concentration of glutamate, which are associated with a broad range of pathological conditions. Excessive activation of AMPAR under these conditions may induce excitotoxic injury in glial cells, and trigger pathophysiological responses threatening other neural cells and amplifying ongoing disease processes. The aim of this review is to gather information on AMPAR function from across the broad diversity of glial cells, identify their contribution to pathophysiological processes, and highlight new areas of research whose progress may increase our understanding of nervous system dysfunction and disease.

No pun intended: future directions in invertebrate glial cell migration studies

2007 ◽  
Vol 3 (1) ◽  
pp. 45-54 ◽  
Author(s):  
Patrick Cafferty ◽  
Vanessa J. Auld
Keyword(s):  
Nervous System ◽  
Cell Migration ◽  
Glial Cell ◽  
Glial Cells ◽  
Molecular Mechanisms ◽  
System Development ◽  
Fruit Fly ◽  
Nervous System Development ◽  
Wide Range ◽  
And Function

AbstractGlial cells play a wide range of essential roles in both nervous system development and function and has been reviewed recently (Parker and Auld, 2006). Glia provide an insulating sheath, either form or direct the formation of the blood–brain barrier, contribute to ion and metabolite homeostasis and provide guidance cues. Glial function often depends on the ability of glial cells to migrate toward specific locations during nervous system development. Work in nervous system development in insects, in particular in the fruit fly Drosophila melanogaster and the tobacco hornworm Manduca sexta, has provided significant insight into the roles of glia, although the molecular mechanisms underlying glial cell migration are being determined only now. Indeed, many of the processes and mechanisms discovered in these simpler systems have direct parallels in the development of vertebrate nervous systems. In this review, we first examine the developmental contexts in which invertebrate glial cell migration has been observed, we next discuss the characterized molecules required for proper glial cell migration, and we finally discuss future goals to be addressed in the study of glial cell development.

scholarly journals Insights Into Central Nervous System Glial Cell Formation and Function From Zebrafish

2021 ◽  
Vol 9 ◽  
Author(s):  
Sarah A. Neely ◽  
David A. Lyons
Keyword(s):  
Central Nervous System ◽  
Nervous System ◽  
Glial Cell ◽  
Glial Cells ◽  
Large Body ◽  
Cell Types ◽  
Cell Interactions ◽  
Glial Cell Interactions ◽  
And Function

The term glia describes a heterogenous collection of distinct cell types that make up a large proportion of our nervous system. Although once considered the glue of the nervous system, the study of glial cells has evolved significantly in recent years, with a large body of literature now highlighting their complex and diverse roles in development and throughout life. This progress is due, in part, to advances in animal models in which the molecular and cellular mechanisms of glial cell development and function as well as neuron-glial cell interactions can be directly studied in vivo in real time, in intact neural circuits. In this review we highlight the instrumental role that zebrafish have played as a vertebrate model system for the study of glial cells, and discuss how the experimental advantages of the zebrafish lend themselves to investigate glial cell interactions and diversity. We focus in particular on recent studies that have provided insight into the formation and function of the major glial cell types in the central nervous system in zebrafish.

scholarly journals Electrospun Fiber Scaffolds for Engineering Glial Cell Behavior to Promote Neural Regeneration

2020 ◽  
Vol 8 (1) ◽  
pp. 4
Author(s):  
Devan L. Puhl ◽  
Jessica L. Funnell ◽  
Derek W. Nelson ◽  
Manoj K. Gottipati ◽  
Ryan J. Gilbert
Keyword(s):  
Nervous System ◽  
Glial Cell ◽  
Cell Response ◽  
Electrospun Fiber ◽  
Neural Regeneration ◽  
Cell Phenotype ◽  
Comprehensive Overview ◽  
Fiber Alignment ◽  
Wide Range ◽  
Fiber Scaffolds

Electrospinning is a fabrication technique used to produce nano- or micro- diameter fibers to generate biocompatible, biodegradable scaffolds for tissue engineering applications. Electrospun fiber scaffolds are advantageous for neural regeneration because they mimic the structure of the nervous system extracellular matrix and provide contact guidance for regenerating axons. Glia are non-neuronal regulatory cells that maintain homeostasis in the healthy nervous system and regulate regeneration in the injured nervous system. Electrospun fiber scaffolds offer a wide range of characteristics, such as fiber alignment, diameter, surface nanotopography, and surface chemistry that can be engineered to achieve a desired glial cell response to injury. Further, electrospun fibers can be loaded with drugs, nucleic acids, or proteins to provide the local, sustained release of such therapeutics to alter glial cell phenotype to better support regeneration. This review provides the first comprehensive overview of how electrospun fiber alignment, diameter, surface nanotopography, surface functionalization, and therapeutic delivery affect Schwann cells in the peripheral nervous system and astrocytes, oligodendrocytes, and microglia in the central nervous system both in vitro and in vivo. The information presented can be used to design and optimize electrospun fiber scaffolds to target glial cell response to mitigate nervous system injury and improve regeneration.

Some fly sensory organs are gliogenic and require glide/gcm in a precursor that divides symmetrically and produces glial cells

Development ◽  
2000 ◽  
Vol 127 (17) ◽  
pp. 3735-3743 ◽  
Author(s):  
V. Van De Bor ◽  
R. Walther ◽  
A. Giangrande
Keyword(s):  
Central Nervous System ◽  
Nervous System ◽  
Peripheral Nervous System ◽  
Glial Cell ◽  
Glial Cells ◽  
Sensory Organ ◽  
Asymmetric Distribution ◽  
Sensory Organs ◽  
The Central Nervous System ◽  
Glial Precursor

In flies, the choice between neuronal and glial fates depends on the asymmetric division of multipotent precursors, the neuroglioblast of the central nervous system and the IIb precursor of the sensory organ lineage. In the central nervous system, the choice between the two fates requires asymmetric distribution of the glial cell deficient/glial cell missing (glide/gcm) RNA in the neuroglioblast. Preferential accumulation of the transcript in one of the daughter cells results in the activation of the glial fate in that cell, which becomes a glial precursor. Here we show that glide/gcm is necessary to induce glial differentiation in the peripheral nervous system. We also present evidence that glide/gcm RNA is not necessary to induce the fate choice in the peripheral multipotent precursor. Indeed, glide/gcm RNA and protein are first detected in one daughter of IIb but not in IIb itself. Thus, glide/gcm is required in both central and peripheral glial cells, but its regulation is context dependent. Strikingly, we have found that only subsets of sensory organs are gliogenic and express glide/gcm. The ability to produce glial cells depends on fixed, lineage related, cues and not on stochastic decisions. Finally, we show that after glide/gcm expression has ceased, the IIb daughter migrates and divides symmetrically to produce several mature glial cells. Thus, the glide/gcm-expressing cell, also called the fifth cell of the sensory organ, is indeed a glial precursor. This is the first reported case of symmetric division in the sensory organ lineage. These data indicate that the organization of the fly peripheral nervous system is more complex than previously thought.

Commissure formation in the embryonic CNS of Drosophila

Development ◽  
1999 ◽  
Vol 126 (4) ◽  
pp. 771-779 ◽  
Author(s):  
T. Hummel ◽  
K. Schimmelpfeng ◽  
C. Klambt
Keyword(s):  
Nervous System ◽  
Glial Cells ◽  
Ventral Nerve Cord ◽  
Growth Cones ◽  
Cellular Functions ◽  
Detailed Model ◽  
Present Evidence ◽  
Embryonic Nervous System ◽  
Dependent Signal ◽  
Embryonic Cns

Most of the neurons of the ventral nerve cord send out long projecting axons which cross the midline. In the Drosophila central nervous system (CNS) cells of the midline give rise to neuronal and glial lineages with different functions during the establishment of the commissural pattern. Here we present evidence that beside the previously known NETRIN/FRAZZLED (DCC) signalling system an additional attractive system(s) is operating in the developing embryonic nervous system of Drosophila. Attractive cues appear to be provided by the midline neurons. We show that the glial cells present repulsive signals to the previously described ROUNDABOUT receptor in addition to a permissive contact-dependent signal helping commissural growth cones across the midline. A novel repulsive component is encoded by the karussell gene. Furthermore the midline glial cells separate anterior and posterior commissures. By genetic criteria we demonstrate that some of the genes we have identified are acting in the midline glia whereas other genes are required in the midline neurons. The results lead to a detailed model relating different cellular functions to axonal patterning at the midline.

Actin Binding Proteins: Regulation of Cytoskeletal Microfilaments

2003 ◽  
Vol 83 (2) ◽  
pp. 433-473 ◽  
Author(s):  
C. G. Dos Remedios ◽  
D. Chhabra ◽  
M. Kekic ◽  
I. V. Dedova ◽  
M. Tsubakihara ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Actin Filaments ◽  
Binding Proteins ◽  
Complex Structure ◽  
Actin Binding ◽  
Cellular Functions ◽  
Actin Binding Proteins ◽  
Ancestral Gene ◽  
Wide Range ◽  
Human Disorders ◽  
And Function

The actin cytoskeleton is a complex structure that performs a wide range of cellular functions. In 2001, significant advances were made to our understanding of the structure and function of actin monomers. Many of these are likely to help us understand and distinguish between the structural models of actin microfilaments. In particular, 1) the structure of actin was resolved from crystals in the absence of cocrystallized actin binding proteins (ABPs), 2) the prokaryotic ancestral gene of actin was crystallized and its function as a bacterial cytoskeleton was revealed, and 3) the structure of the Arp2/3 complex was described for the first time. In this review we selected several ABPs (ADF/cofilin, profilin, gelsolin, thymosin β4, DNase I, CapZ, tropomodulin, and Arp2/3) that regulate actin-driven assembly, i.e., movement that is independent of motor proteins. They were chosen because 1) they represent a family of related proteins, 2) they are widely distributed in nature, 3) an atomic structure (or at least a plausible model) is available for each of them, and 4) each is expressed in significant quantities in cells. These ABPs perform the following cellular functions: 1) they maintain the population of unassembled but assembly-ready actin monomers (profilin), 2) they regulate the state of polymerization of filaments (ADF/cofilin, profilin), 3) they bind to and block the growing ends of actin filaments (gelsolin), 4) they nucleate actin assembly (gelsolin, Arp2/3, cofilin), 5) they sever actin filaments (gelsolin, ADF/cofilin), 6) they bind to the sides of actin filaments (gelsolin, Arp2/3), and 7) they cross-link actin filaments (Arp2/3). Some of these ABPs are essential, whereas others may form regulatory ternary complexes. Some play crucial roles in human disorders, and for all of them, there are good reasons why investigations into their structures and functions should continue.

scholarly journals Glioendocrine System: Effects of Thyroid Hormones in Glia and their Functions in the Central Nervous System

2020 ◽  
Vol 3 (1) ◽  
pp. 1-11
Author(s):  
Mami Noda
Keyword(s):  
Central Nervous System ◽  
Nervous System ◽  
Cognitive Impairment ◽  
Thyroid Hormones ◽  
Glial Cells ◽  
Endocrine System ◽  
Cell Types ◽  
Development And Differentiation ◽  
The Central Nervous System ◽  
And Function

AbstractGlial cells play a significant role in the link between the endocrine and nervous systems. Among hormones, thyroid hormones (THs) are critical for the regulation of development and differentiation of neurons and glial cells, and hence for development and function of the central nervous system (CNS). THs are transported into the CNS, metabolized in astrocytes and affect various cell types in the CNS including astrocyte itself. Since 3,3’,5-triiodo-L-thyronine (T3) is apparently released from astrocytes in the CNS, it is a typical example of glia-endocrine system.The prevalence of thyroid disorders increases with age. Both hypothyroidism and hyperthyroidism are reported to increase the risk of cognitive impairment or Alzheimer’s disease (AD). Therefore, understanding the neuroglial effects of THs may help to solve the problem why hypothyroidism or hyperthyroidism may cause mental disorders or become a risk factor for cognitive impairment. In this review, THs are focused among wide variety of hormones related to brain function, and recent advancement in glioendocrine system is described.

scholarly journals Dpp and Hedgehog promote the glial response to neuronal apoptosis in the developing Drosophila visual system

PLoS Biology ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 19 (8) ◽  
pp. e3001367
Author(s):  
Sergio B. Velarde ◽  
Alvaro Quevedo ◽  
Carlos Estella ◽  
Antonio Baonza
Keyword(s):  
Cell Death ◽  
Nervous System ◽  
Glial Cell ◽  
Glial Cells ◽  
Neuronal Apoptosis ◽  
Morphological Changes ◽  
Neuronal Cell Death ◽  
Neuronal Cell ◽  
Jnk Pathway ◽  
Glial Cell Proliferation

Damage in the nervous system induces a stereotypical response that is mediated by glial cells. Here, we use the eye disc of Drosophila melanogaster as a model to explore the mechanisms involved in promoting glial cell response after neuronal cell death induction. We demonstrate that these cells rapidly respond to neuronal apoptosis by increasing in number and undergoing morphological changes, which will ultimately grant them phagocytic abilities. We found that this glial response is controlled by the activity of Decapentaplegic (Dpp) and Hedgehog (Hh) signalling pathways. These pathways are activated after cell death induction, and their functions are necessary to induce glial cell proliferation and migration to the eye discs. The latter of these 2 processes depend on the function of the c-Jun N-terminal kinase (JNK) pathway, which is activated by Dpp signalling. We also present evidence that a similar mechanism controls glial response upon apoptosis induction in the leg discs, suggesting that our results uncover a mechanism that might be involved in controlling glial cells response to neuronal cell death in different regions of the peripheral nervous system (PNS).

The appearance of neural and glial cell markers during early development of the nervous system in the amphibian embryo

Development ◽  
1989 ◽  
Vol 107 (1) ◽  
pp. 43-54 ◽  
Author(s):  
N.J. Messenger ◽  
A.E. Warner
Keyword(s):  
Nervous System ◽  
Glial Cell ◽  
Glial Cells ◽  
Cell Type ◽  
Neurofilament Protein ◽  
Amphibian Embryo ◽  
Specific Antibodies ◽  
Cell Type Specific ◽  
Radial Glial ◽  
The Brain

Cell-type-specific antibodies have been used to follow the appearance of neurones and glia in the developing nervous system of the amphibian embryo. Differentiated neurones were recognized with antibodies against neurofilament protein while glial cells were identified with antibodies against glial fibrillary acidic protein (GFAP). The appearance of neurones containing the neurotransmitters 5-hydroxytryptamine and dopamine has been charted also. In Xenopus, neurofilament protein in developing neurones was observed occasionally at NF stage 21 and was present reliably in the neural tube and in caudal regions of the brain at stage 23. Antibodies to the low molecular weight fragment of the neurofilament triplet recognized early neurones most reliably. Radial glial cells, identified with GFAP antibody, were identified from stage 23 onwards in the neural tube and caudal regions of the brain. In the developing spinal cord, GFAP staining was apparent throughout the cytoplasm of each radial glial cell. In the brain, the peripheral region only of each glial cell contained GFAP. By stage 36, immunohistochemically recognizable neurones and glia were present throughout the nervous system. In the axolotl, by stage 36 the pattern of neural and glial staining was identical to that observed in Xenopus. GFAP staining of glial cells was obvious at stage 23, although neuronal staining was clearly absent. This implies that glial cells differentiate before neurones. 5-HT-containing cell bodies were first observed in caudal regions of the developing brain on either side of the midline at stage 26. An extensive network of 5-HT neurones appeared gradually, with a substantial subset crossing to the opposite side of the brain through the developing optic chiasma. 5,7-dihydroxytryptamine prevented the appearance of 5-HT. Depletion of 5-HT had little effect on development or swimming behaviour. Dopamine-containing neurones in the brain first differentiated at stage 35–36 and gradually increased in number up to stage 45–47, the latest stage examined. The functional role of 5-HT- or dopamine-containing neurones remains to be elucidated. We conclude that cell-type-specific antibodies can be used to identify neurones and glial cells at early times during neural development and may be useful tools in circumstances where functional identification is difficult.

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