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Review
. 2018 Nov 15:12:401.
doi: 10.3389/fncel.2018.00401. eCollection 2018.

Astrocyte Heterogeneity in the Adult Central Nervous System

Sean J Miller  1
Affiliations
Review

Astrocyte Heterogeneity in the Adult Central Nervous System

Sean J Miller. Front Cell Neurosci. .

Abstract

Astrocytes are the most abundant cell type in the central nervous system (CNS), providing critical roles in the overall maintenance and homeostasis. Over 100 years ago, Cajal first showed morphological depictions of different astrocyte populations. Surprisingly, to date astrocytes remain classified in two groups based on their morphological and neuroanatomical positioning. However, accumulating evidence over the past few years is showing that astrocytes are highly diverse throughout the CNS. Astrocyte heterogeneity is not surprisingly, as these cells interact with all other cells in the CNS. Like neurons, astrocytes may also have subpopulations that vary in their functionality. In this mini review, we will explore some of the recent evidence in the adult CNS of astrocyte diversity. First, we will review the very little literature on healthy adult astroglia heterogeneity, followed by the identification of different subpopulations in disease states and how this varies between human and mouse. Exploring this new area of neuroscience will hopefully provide researchers with a new perspective on astrocytes and their heterogeneity throughout the CNS.

Keywords: adult; astrocyte; diversity; heterogeneity; human; neurodegeneration; rodent.

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Figures

Figure 1
Figure 1
Astroglia diversity in the adult brain. (Top, left) Astroglia in neurodegenerative disorders differentially regulate Kir4.1, Glt1 and GFAP. (Top, right) Astroglia in epilepsy downregulate Glt1, Kir4.1 and glutamine synthetase (GS). (Bottom, left) A1 astroglia are neurotoxic and upregulate markers such as C3. (Bottom, right) A2 astroglia are neuroprotective and upregulate S100a10 and Stat3. Image modified from Cancer Research UK/Wikimedia Commons.
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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