Currently, there is no technique available that enables specific and inducible genetic manipulation of astrocytes in the brain. Here, the authors identified a marker that enabled selective targeting of astrocytes in mice using the Cre–LoxP system. They combined this with expression of a genetically encoded calcium indicator and used the system to detect intracellular calcium signals in astrocyte processes during a startle response, demonstrating the usefulness of this approach for the study of astrocytes and behaviour.
References
Srinivasan, R. et al. New transgenic mouse lines for selectively targeting astrocytes and studying calcium signals in astrocyte processes in situ and in vivo. Neuron 92, 1181–1195 (2016)
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Lewis, S. Getting down to detail. Nat Rev Neurosci 18, 70 (2017). https://doi.org/10.1038/nrn.2017.4
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/nrn.2017.4