Bidirectional Scaling of Astrocytic Metabotropic Glutamate Receptor Signaling following Long-Term Changes in Neuronal Firing Rates.
- Resource Type
- Article
- Authors
- Xie, Alison X.; Min-Yu Sun; Murphy, Thomas; Lauderdale, Kelli; Tiglao, Elizabeth; Fiacco, Todd A.
- Source
- PLoS ONE. Nov2012, Vol. 7 Issue 11, Special section p1-20. 20p.
- Subject
- *METABOLISM
*GENE expression
*STEM cell research
*LABORATORY mice
*CRYPTOCHROMES
- Language
- ISSN
- 1932-6203
Very little is known about the ability of astrocytic receptors to exhibit plasticity as a result of changes in neuronal activity. Here we provide evidence for bidirectional scaling of astrocytic group I metabotropic glutamate receptor signaling in acute mouse hippocampal slices following long-term changes in neuronal firing rates. Plasticity of astrocytic mGluRs was measured by recording spontaneous and evoked Ca2+ elevations in both astrocytic somata and processes. An exogenous astrocytic Gq G protein-coupled receptor was resistant to scaling, suggesting that the alterations in astrocyte Ca2+ signaling result from changes in activity of the surface mGluRs rather than a change in intracellular G protein signaling molecules. These findings suggest that astrocytes actively detect shifts in neuronal firing rates and adjust their receptor signaling accordingly. This type of long-term plasticity in astrocytes resembles neuronal homeostatic plasticity and might be important to ensure an optimal or expected level of input from neurons. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]