Astrocytes are neural cells of ectodermal, neuroepithelial origin that provide for homeostasis
and defense of the central nervous system (CNS). Astrocytes are highly heterogeneous in …

Astrocytes tile the entire CNS. They are vital for neural circuit function, but have traditionally
been viewed as simple, homogenous cells that serve the same essential supportive roles …

Synapses are intercellular junctions specialized for fast, point-to-point information transfer
from a presynaptic neuron to a postsynaptic cell. At a synapse, a presynaptic terminal …

Brain tissue has a remarkable ability to accumulate glutamate. This ability is due to
glutamate transporter proteins present in the plasma membranes of both glial cells and …

Neurons in the developing brain undergo extensive structural refinement as nascent circuits
adopt their mature form. This physical transformation of neurons is facilitated by the …

The identification of the presence of active signaling between astrocytes and neurons in a
process termed gliotransmission has caused a paradigm shift in our thinking about brain …

We define a new concept of 'active milieu'that unifies all components of nervous tissue
(neuronal and glial compartments, extracellular space, extracellular matrix, and vasculature) …

Astrocytes are morphologically complex, ubiquitous cells that are viewed as a
homogeneous population tiling the entire central nervous system (CNS). However, this view …

Astrocytes are ubiquitous in the brain and are widely held to be largely identical. However,
this view has not been fully tested, and the possibility that astrocytes are neural circuit …

The term 'tripartite synapse'refers to a concept in synaptic physiology based on the
demonstration of the existence of bidirectional communication between astrocytes and …