Cendra Agulhon

Modulation of the autonomic nervous system and behaviour by acute glial cell Gq protein-coupled receptor activation in v...

Published in Sexually Transmitted Diseases

Glial fibrillary acidic protein (GFAP)-expressing cells (GFAP(+) glial cells) are the predominant cell type in the central and peripheral nervous systems. Our understanding of the role of GFAP(+) glial cells and their signalling systems in vivo is limited due to our inability to manipulate these cells and their receptors in a cell type-specific and...

New tools for investigating astrocyte-to-neuron communication

Published in The Journal of Clinical Endocrinology & Metabolism

Recent molecular approaches to understanding astrocyte function in vivo.

Published in Developments in Plant Genetics and Breeding

Astrocytes are a predominant glial cell type in the nervous systems, and are becoming recognized as important mediators of normal brain function as well as neurodevelopmental, neurological, and neurodegenerative brain diseases. Although numerous potential mechanisms have been proposed to explain the role of astrocytes in the normal and diseased bra...

Calcium Signaling and Gliotransmission in Normal vs. Reactive Astrocytes

Published in European Addiction Research

Hippocampal short- and long-term plasticity are not modulated by astrocyte Ca2+ signaling.

Published in Skeletal Radiology

The concept that astrocytes release neuroactive molecules (gliotransmitters) to affect synaptic transmission has been a paradigm shift in neuroscience research over the past decade. This concept suggests that astrocytes, together with pre- and postsynaptic neuronal elements, make up a functional synapse. Astrocyte release of gliotransmitters (for e...

Sorting out astrocyte physiology from pharmacology.

Published in Genetic Epidemiology

A number of exciting findings have been made in astrocytes during the past 15 years that have led many researchers to redefine how the brain works. Astrocytes are now widely regarded as cells that propagate Ca(2+) over long distances in response to stimulation, and, similar to neurons, release transmitters (called gliotransmitters) in a Ca(2+)-depe...

Bioluminescent imaging of Ca2+ activity reveals spatiotemporal dynamics in glial networks of dark-adapted mouse retina.

Glial Ca(2+) excitability plays a key role in reciprocal neuron-glia communication. In the retina, neuron-glia signalling is expected to be maximal in the dark, but the glial Ca(2+) signal characteristics under such conditions have not been evaluated. To address this question, we used bioluminescence imaging to monitor spontaneous Ca(2+) changes un...

Selective stimulation of astrocyte calcium in situ does not affect neuronal excitatory synaptic activity.

Published in Fundamental & clinical pharmacology

Astrocytes are considered the third component of the synapse, responding to neurotransmitter release from synaptic terminals and releasing gliotransmitters--including glutamate--in a Ca(2+)-dependent manner to affect neuronal synaptic activity. Many studies reporting astrocyte-driven neuronal activity have evoked astrocyte Ca(2+) increases by appli...

Visualization of local Ca2+ dynamics with genetically encoded bioluminescent reporters.

Published in Int J Radiat Oncol Biol Phys

Measurements of local Ca2+ signalling at different developmental stages and/or in specific cell types is important for understanding aspects of brain functioning. The use of light excitation in fluorescence imaging can cause phototoxicity, photobleaching and auto-fluorescence. In contrast, bioluminescence does not require the input of radiative ene...

Lysosomal amino acid transporter LYAAT-1 in the rat central nervous system: an in situ hybridization and immunohistochem...

Published in Clinical toxicology (Philadelphia, Pa.)

A first mammalian lysosomal transporter (LYAAT-1) was recently identified and functionally characterized. Preliminary immunocytochemical data revealed that LYAAT-1 localizes to lysosomes in some neurons. In order to determine whether it is expressed in specific neuron populations and other cell types, and to confirm whether it is localized at the m...