The influence of astrocytic leaflet motility on ionic signalling and homeostasis at active synapses

Toman, M., Wade, J. J., Verkhratsky, A., Dallas, M. ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-5190-0522, Bithell, A., Flanagan, B., Harkin, J. and McDaid, L. (2023) The influence of astrocytic leaflet motility on ionic signalling and homeostasis at active synapses. Scientific Reports, 13 (1). 3050. ISSN 2045-2322 doi: 10.1038/s41598-023-30189-8

Abstract/Summary

Astrocytes display a highly complex, spongiform morphology, with their fine terminal processes (leaflets) exercising dynamic degrees of synaptic coverage, from touching and surrounding the synapse to being retracted from the synaptic region. In this paper, a computational model is used to reveal the effect of the astrocyte-synapse spatial relationship on ionic homeostasis. Specifically, our model predicts that varying degrees of astrocyte leaflet coverage influences concentrations of K+, Na+ and Ca2+, and results show that leaflet motility strongly influences Ca2+ uptake, as well as glutamate and K+ to a lesser extent. Furthermore, this paper highlights that an astrocytic leaflet that is in proximity to the synaptic cleft loses the ability to form a Ca2+ microdomain, whereas when the leaflet is remote from the synaptic cleft, a Ca2+ microdomain can form. This may have implications for Ca2+-dependent leaflet motility.

Item Type	Article
URI	https://reading-clone.eprints-hosting.org/id/eprint/111115
Identification Number/DOI	10.1038/s41598-023-30189-8
Refereed	Yes
Divisions	Life Sciences > School of Chemistry, Food and Pharmacy > School of Pharmacy > Division of Pharmacology
Publisher	Nature Publishing Group
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