Neuroscientists had long believed that neural cells called astrocytes (pictured) provide structural support and nutrients to the neurons they surround. But a debate has erupted over whether these cells also release signalling molecules that affect neuronal communication — and, if they do, how.
It is thought that an increase in astrocyte calcium-ion concentration might trigger the release of these signalling molecules. Cendra Agulhon at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill and her team engineered mice in which they could either stimulate or suppress calcium signalling. They showed that neither activating nor deactivating the calcium rise in astrocytes affected neurotransmission in the brain's hippocampus, suggesting that other mechanisms underlie astrocyte signalling.
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Neuroscience: Nerve cell talk. Nature 464, 144 (2010). https://doi.org/10.1038/464144d
Published:
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/464144d
