Astroglial Metabolic Networks Sustain Hippocampal Synaptic Transmission

Astrocytes provide metabolic substrates to neurons in an activity-dependent manner. However, the molecular mechanisms involved in this function, as well as its role in synaptic transmission, remain unclear. Here, we show that the gap-junction subunit proteins connexin 43 and 30 allow intercellular t...

Full description

Saved in:
Bibliographic Details
Published in:Science (American Association for the Advancement of Science) 2008-12, Vol.322 (5907), p.1551-1555
Main Authors: Rouach, Nathalie, Koulakoff, Annette, Abudara, Veronica, Willecke, Klaus, Giaume, Christian
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Animals
Astrocytes
Astrocytes - metabolism
Biological and medical sciences
Blood Glucose - metabolism
Blood vessels
Cell Membrane Permeability
Cellular biology
Connexin 30
Connexin 43 - metabolism
Connexins - metabolism
Diffusion
Energy metabolism
Epilepsy - physiopathology
Excitatory Postsynaptic Potentials
Fundamental and applied biological sciences. Psychology
Gap junctions
Gap Junctions - physiology
Glucose - metabolism
Glutamic Acid - metabolism
Hippocampus - blood supply
Hippocampus - cytology
Hippocampus - physiology
In Vitro Techniques
Lactates
Lactic Acid - metabolism
Life Sciences
Metabolic Networks and Pathways
Metabolism
Mice
Mice, Knockout
Mice, Transgenic
Molecular biology
Neurology
Neurons
Neurons - physiology
Neuroscience
Patch-Clamp Techniques
Pipettes
Proteins
Pyramidal cells
Receptors, AMPA - metabolism
Synaptic Transmission
Vertebrates: nervous system and sense organs
Citations: Items that this one cites
Items that cite this one
Online Access:Get full text
Tags: Add Tag
No Tags, Be the first to tag this record!
Description
Summary:Astrocytes provide metabolic substrates to neurons in an activity-dependent manner. However, the molecular mechanisms involved in this function, as well as its role in synaptic transmission, remain unclear. Here, we show that the gap-junction subunit proteins connexin 43 and 30 allow intercellular trafficking of glucose and its metabolites through astroglial networks. This trafficking is regulated by glutamatergic synaptic activity mediated by AMPA receptors. In the absence of extracellular glucose, the delivery of glucose or lactate to astrocytes sustains glutamatergic synaptic transmission and epileptiform activity only when they are connected by gap junctions. These results indicate that astroglial gap junctions provide an activity-dependent intercellular pathway for the delivery of energetic metabolites from blood vessels to distal neurons.
ISSN:0036-8075
1095-9203
DOI:10.1126/science.1164022