Tauriala Niina Lehti, Kellner Vered
Department of Neurophysiology and Neuropharmacology, Centre for Physiology and Pharmacology, Medical University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria.
J Neurochem. 2025 Nov;169(11):e70266. doi: 10.1111/jnc.70266.
Astrocytes, once regarded merely as passive support cells in the brain, have recently emerged as active partners to neurons in sensory processing, learning and memory. By promoting the development, maturation and refinement of neuronal synapses, astrocytes play a central role in shaping brain circuitry. Within these circuits, inhibitory neurons comprise approximately 20% of brain cells, with variation across regions and developmental stages. The fundamental importance of inhibition is underscored by its evolutionary conservation, being present even in primitive nervous systems. Notably, astrocyte development coincides temporally with a peak in synaptogenesis and with the maturation of inhibitory neurons, suggesting potential interplay between these processes. Historically, research has primarily focused on astrocyte interactions with excitatory neurons; however, there is growing recognition of the likely significance of astrocyte-inhibitory neuron crosstalk, particularly during critical developmental periods. Here we review current knowledge on the development of astrocytes and inhibitory neurons, highlight emerging evidence for their interactions and propose hypotheses to guide future research.
星形胶质细胞，曾被仅仅视为大脑中的被动支持细胞，最近已成为感觉处理、学习和记忆中神经元的积极伙伴。通过促进神经元突触的发育、成熟和精细化，星形胶质细胞在塑造脑回路中发挥核心作用。在这些回路中，抑制性神经元约占脑细胞的20%，在不同区域和发育阶段存在差异。抑制作用的根本重要性通过其进化保守性得以强调，甚至在原始神经系统中也存在。值得注意的是，星形胶质细胞的发育在时间上与突触发生的高峰期以及抑制性神经元的成熟相吻合，这表明这些过程之间可能存在相互作用。从历史上看，研究主要集中在星形胶质细胞与兴奋性神经元的相互作用上；然而，人们越来越认识到星形胶质细胞 - 抑制性神经元相互作用的可能重要性，特别是在关键的发育时期。在这里，我们综述了关于星形胶质细胞和抑制性神经元发育的当前知识，强调它们相互作用的新证据，并提出假设以指导未来的研究。
