2023-09-06 18:45:31
Researchers from Lake Geneva have discovered a new type of cell essential to brain function. This work published in the journal Nature shows that they facilitate the memorization and control of movements, and disadvantage the triggering of epileptic seizures.
Neurons and glial cells secretly hid a hybrid cell, halfway between these two types of brain cells known so far, the University of Lausanne (UNIL) said in a statement on Wednesday.
It is recognized that the brain works essentially thanks to neurons and their ability to quickly process and transmit information through their networks. To support them, glial cells perform a series of structural, energy, immune and stabilizing functions.
Some of these glial cells called astrocytes very intimately surround the synapses, the contact points where the neurotransmitters are released, vectors for the transmission of information between neurons.
This is why neuroscientists have long suggested that astrocytes may have a role in synaptic transmission and participate in the integration of information. But studies to date have yielded conflicting results.
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End of years of controversy
By identifying a new cell type with the characteristics of an astrocyte and expressing the molecular machinery necessary for synaptic transmission, neuroscientists from UNIL and the Wyss Center for Bio and Neuroengineering in Geneva put an end to years of controversy.
They were able to confirm that astrocytes, like neurons, are capable of releasing neurotransmitters, in this case glutamate. This observation is valid both in mice and in humans.
Next, the research team showed that this release of glutamate exerts an influence on synaptic transmission. “These are cells that modulate neuronal activity, they control the level of communication and excitation of neurons”, indicates Roberta de Ceglia, researcher at UNIL and first author of the study, quoted in the press release.
Plausible solution to solve epilepsy and Parkinson’s
In the absence of this machinery, the mechanisms of memorization are altered and the memory of mice is impacted. By specifically disrupting glutamatergic astrocytes, the team was able to demonstrate effects on memory consolidation, but also on pathologies such as epilepsy, whose seizures were exacerbated.
Finally, the study shows that these astrocytes also play a role in the regulation of brain circuits involved in movement control. They could thus offer therapeutic targets for Parkinson’s disease, in particular, opening up “huge prospects for research”, according to the authors.
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