Department of Neuroscience, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN 55455, USA.
Department of Neuroscience, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN 55455, USA.
Neuroscience. 2019 Jan 1;396:73-78. doi: 10.1016/j.neuroscience.2018.11.010. Epub 2018 Nov 17.
Astrocytes are emerging as important players in synaptic function, and, consequently, on brain function and animal behavior. According to the Tripartite Synapse concept, astrocytes are integral elements involved in synaptic function. They establish bidirectional communication with neurons, whereby they respond to synaptically released neurotransmitters and, in turn, release gliotransmitters that influence neuronal and synaptic activity. Accumulating evidence is revealing that the mechanisms and functional consequences of astrocyte-neuron signaling are more complex than originally thought. Furthermore, astrocyte-neuron signaling is not based on broad, unspecific interaction; rather, it is a synapse-, cell- and circuit-specific phenomenon that presents a high degree of complexity. This diversity and complexity of astrocyte-synapse interactions greatly enhance the degrees of freedom of the neural circuits and the consequent computational power of the neural systems.
星形胶质细胞在突触功能中扮演着重要的角色，因此，也对大脑功能和动物行为有着重要的影响。根据三突触概念，星形胶质细胞是参与突触功能的一个重要组成部分。它们与神经元建立双向通讯，对突触释放的神经递质做出反应，反过来又释放神经胶质递质，影响神经元和突触活动。越来越多的证据表明，星形胶质细胞-神经元信号传递的机制和功能后果比最初想象的要复杂得多。此外，星形胶质细胞-神经元信号传递不是基于广泛的、非特异性的相互作用；相反，它是一种突触、细胞和回路特异性的现象，具有高度的复杂性。星形胶质细胞-突触相互作用的这种多样性和复杂性极大地增加了神经网络的自由度和神经系统的计算能力。
