Stanford University School of Medicine, Department of Neurobiology, Stanford, CA 94305, USA.
Neuron. 2011 Sep 8;71(5):799-811. doi: 10.1016/j.neuron.2011.07.022.
The inability to purify and culture astrocytes has long hindered studies of their function. Whereas astrocyte progenitor cells can be cultured from neonatal brain, culture of mature astrocytes from postnatal brain has not been possible. Here, we report a new method to prospectively purify astrocytes by immunopanning. These astrocytes undergo apoptosis in culture, but vascular cells and HBEGF promote their survival in serum-free culture. We found that some developing astrocytes normally undergo apoptosis in vivo and that the vast majority of astrocytes contact blood vessels, suggesting that astrocytes are matched to blood vessels by competing for vascular-derived trophic factors such as HBEGF. Compared to traditional astrocyte cultures, the gene profiles of the cultured purified postnatal astrocytes much more closely resemble those of in vivo astrocytes. Although these astrocytes strongly promote synapse formation and function, they do not secrete glutamate in response to stimulation.
长期以来，由于无法对星形胶质细胞进行纯化和培养，因此对其功能的研究受到了阻碍。虽然可以从新生脑中培养出星形胶质细胞前体细胞，但无法从出生后的脑中培养出成熟的星形胶质细胞。在这里，我们报告了一种通过免疫筛选来前瞻性地纯化星形胶质细胞的新方法。这些星形胶质细胞在培养过程中会发生凋亡，但血管细胞和 HBEGF 可促进其在无血清培养中存活。我们发现，一些发育中的星形胶质细胞在体内通常会发生凋亡，而且绝大多数星形胶质细胞与血管接触，这表明星形胶质细胞通过竞争血管衍生的营养因子（如 HBEGF）与血管相匹配。与传统的星形胶质细胞培养物相比，培养的纯化的出生后星形胶质细胞的基因谱与体内星形胶质细胞更为相似。尽管这些星形胶质细胞强烈促进突触的形成和功能，但它们不会在受到刺激时分泌谷氨酸。
