Department of Pathology and Molecular Medicine, McMaster University, HSC 1R1, 1280 Main Street West, Hamilton, ON, Canada L8S 4K1.
Neural Plast. 2012;2012:197491. doi: 10.1155/2012/197491. Epub 2012 Jul 11.
A growing body of research indicates a pivotal role for astrocytes at the developing synapse. In particular, astrocytes are dynamically involved in governing synapse structure, function, and plasticity. In the postnatal brain, their appearance at synapses coincides with periods of developmental plasticity when neural circuits are refined and established. Alterations in the partnership between astrocytes and neurons have now emerged as important mechanisms that underlie neuropathology. With overall synaptic function standing as a prominent link to the expression of the disease phenotype in a number of neurodevelopmental disorders and knowing that astrocytes influence synapse development and function, this paper highlights the current knowledge of astrocyte biology with a focus on their involvement in fragile X syndrome.
越来越多的研究表明星形胶质细胞在发育中的突触中起着关键作用。特别是，星形胶质细胞在调节突触结构、功能和可塑性方面具有动态作用。在出生后的大脑中，它们出现在突触处，与神经回路细化和建立的发育可塑性时期相吻合。星形胶质细胞和神经元之间伙伴关系的改变现在已成为许多神经发育障碍中神经病理学的重要机制。由于整体突触功能是许多神经发育障碍中疾病表型表达的一个突出联系，并且知道星形胶质细胞影响突触的发育和功能，本文重点介绍了星形胶质细胞生物学的现有知识，特别是它们在脆性 X 综合征中的作用。
