Nature Communications (May 2017)

Neurons and neuronal activity control gene expression in astrocytes to regulate their development and metabolism

  • Philip Hasel,
  • Owen Dando,
  • Zoeb Jiwaji,
  • Paul Baxter,
  • Alison C. Todd,
  • Samuel Heron,
  • Nóra M. Márkus,
  • Jamie McQueen,
  • David W. Hampton,
  • Megan Torvell,
  • Sachin S. Tiwari,
  • Sean McKay,
  • Abel Eraso-Pichot,
  • Antonio Zorzano,
  • Roser Masgrau,
  • Elena Galea,
  • Siddharthan Chandran,
  • David J. A. Wyllie,
  • T. Ian Simpson,
  • Giles E. Hardingham

DOI
https://doi.org/10.1038/ncomms15132
Journal volume & issue
Vol. 8, no. 1
pp. 1 – 18

Abstract

Read online

How neurons and neuronal activity regulate astrocyte functions is poorly understood. Haselet al. identify two large groups of astrocytic genes that are regulated by neuronal contact and synaptic activity respectively, with distinct roles in astrocytic function; interestingly, many of these genes are dysregulated in neurodegeneration.