Instituto Cajal, Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas (CSIC), 28002 Madrid, Spain.
Cells. 2023 Apr 26;12(9):1253. doi: 10.3390/cells12091253.
While neurons have traditionally been considered the primary players in information processing, the role of astrocytes in this mechanism has largely been overlooked due to experimental constraints. In this review, we propose that astrocytic ensembles are active working groups that contribute significantly to animal conduct and suggest that studying the maps of these ensembles in conjunction with neurons is crucial for a more comprehensive understanding of behavior. We also discuss available methods for studying astrocytes and argue that these ensembles, complementarily with neurons, code and integrate complex behaviors, potentially specializing in concrete functions.
虽然神经元在信息处理中一直被认为是主要参与者，但由于实验限制，星形胶质细胞在这一机制中的作用在很大程度上被忽视了。在这篇综述中，我们提出星形胶质细胞集合是活跃的工作组，它们对动物行为有重要贡献，并建议结合神经元研究这些集合的图谱对于更全面地理解行为至关重要。我们还讨论了现有的研究星形胶质细胞的方法，并认为这些集合与神经元相辅相成，对复杂行为进行编码和整合，可能专门针对具体功能。
