Download as pdf
Download as pdf
You are on page 1of 3
Bee Maestros of Learning and Memory Glia prove to be more than the brain's maintenance crew By Ashley Yeager mouse sure scot ound table ined with Die cup-sodoles Withowt mich estatio, he rent hendastrnight lr Ueble that dope tinton eine theater ny otherole wouldve ledtoaquckfall tthe Bor Hat his mouse was more than uel, thd an vantage man ll els were growing initsbrin (Glia are thought o tthe suport staf forthe brains nerve ol oF neurons which amet and receive the brain's leceel and chem signal 2 maybe teling neurons when ad where to snd the sgnls ‘nd how cu those igo shoal, Seenistears begining ‘get acensofhow iacordinat the ai’ nteate m= phony ofsgnal Fils as “Acepting sli role in learning and memory as been ‘aia progression, sas Andre Koch aneuebolgist atthe Universit Wisonsn-River alle Neurosis Iavebeen focused neurons ects neurone end tots bigge han lal els and thei letra sg ‘alsa eon ease to study Andmcheserhon Named forthe Greskterm or"ioesabave been milion thebranvntrmation rocasingsfoused on 9 mown for neriy 170 yar he cls that hold Syugatat__aguesthecommunicton junctions where chil the bral ite togethor Some gia cells ep feed REC! eager pane Detwesn DEON. neurons Otergininlate nereclbrnchesith "S240" "the poplrzaton nd perception thatthe ie tpl Slogerttackban nears reponse Forinfetion or injry- Gl clle perore many ofthe rans ‘ou portant anintenanc joe ‘utrecet ste sgt they da lat more. Glacan shape ‘te enveration between neurons, speeding owingthe ‘letra signa and strengthening neuron-to-neron cD nections When slentsts coaed human lato grow inthe brains ofbaby mic the mie grew up tobe supersart, s ting tabletops fal hols and masteringothe tasks mech faster than normal ie, Thiserperimentand there sugsest that lia my actually orchestrate kernngand memory se ourosclentst Douglas lds “Glia arent doing vibrato, That forthe neurons” says ‘ld ofthe Neon insite of Child Health pd tama evelopment in Bethe Md “la arethe condvetors” They Stones Sowecnetedee Sane seeeon oad som istheony weve celtype nthe central nervous spite tery pervasive It learned enon” Koad “Then to oe long-held ele at erg ana coeN- tion are sey the domain ofearon ut eventhough neurons ar often bie, and deftly ‘more fos pia otmamber nerve ells the bai, Gia omen thee ales microg astrocytes andoligpendro ‘tes Ty micoeliapuffopand pounce onder that ee ‘he Brain, ung cetnel warfare to ll nfitentor, while ‘devouring dendandéyingcels Microglia prune and ear ty unecesny nerve cell connections (S8-1/90/75,p 22, “Artrocyten nestle some of ther pointed projections sine nape, playing lel how neurons make co clone Other astrocyte projcetions connec to nearby ‘apillares, Helping to being exygen-vich blood to the FEATURE | MAESTROS OF LEARNING AND MEMORY lace Olealrrevs "vires soul spo Asrooesbedandpen one eimetcngpr rss | Roe iey y od Meodigesr) ‘ Tlsdrepelioreneston ‘yarn Srdprnesyraptccoeecti he wien drial mcatdlnmany | Te uncon sivavediaiost ‘Reraseatcrdener Shaping the brain Tee tese a he erent kine tan ents neurons The third glial elas, olgodendrocytes,sup- pst neurons by wrapping te neurons Tong wiry bers ied sons in pli, fatty protective substance bet ferbnown ay the bralie white ater. 1 may take several ‘Sigaenrorstes to cover one Tong aon withthe myetin it owt Beyond glue ‘Nearoscentts began to notion the erty 1990 that ia Benne han Jost the support ctw tor neurons. 8M ‘Strescurchers including Stephon Sith now at Stanford. ‘Unversity hadnt col commana ashe Tealeignal a neurone de Sith nd bi collenguesdibled idutamate schemes messenger commonly sed by 26 Ton ita ih ontaningastrocytes odio gow when ‘Ric lewelsgoup Wher the drop nt thecels imme “Stoyfashod After ashort del, mre cell fase abd waves ‘Sritorencence moved though the dis. The utamate was Spumingsstreytesto les orescet aged eacimons ‘Monta the la were sgt communists, Shs ems Tous yarsater Men eden now the University ot obese Metical Center New York showed thstto- (Stes notonly aed among here using lena tab wae the splat communicate with neurons. Tribe tn decades since en, neuroscientists have ben ying astecytes and thelr sigaaling in varius animals Humenatecyesae 26 tmeslonger than mouseasroytes adn ctu on waves throug th brn at pees ve timesfter than rede atrocytes do Humans aso ave sub {onotestrpeytestha ont ppear test nsmouse and rt ‘ng Nedergand and collentues reported in 2009 the “Four af Neurosloee. interlaminar atocyes, fr ex jie exten long bers trough the cores the outer pat of ‘hela wh involved in igher ought processes so searing memory anders. an Sconce NEWS| ast 2 2015 Neca arora “Sehaceloyansaionre rased on differences in mouse and human astrocyt=s _sedorguard and colleague wondered ifnsertng ha la Jnvomicewldchange the way mosebrains worked. It di Human lia progenitor callplaced in mou brains mat ple and then matured ntastocyes, Over several month, ‘ewly developing human aetocyesstartedtorepacethe nie “nroeytes sth human astrocjtostok over televe ea ‘hum sigalinthe rain neresed href "The mine with urn celle alo exhibited greater levels of ‘ht ougsting hat he human astrocytes were street ‘Ring neuronal connections and communication. Whe {late om ahttery of learaing and memory tas uch ak dcop he safe hole on acirela table, the lc with Iman iat cels quickly outerfrmed their mouse-raied Counterparts the tam reported in Cell Stem Cel i 2013 (Gv-4/678,2.19, Neswocleste Robin Frankl an Timothy Buss ofthe ‘niu of Canbridge aged in the sare ise thatthe "eau offered sorpeling evidence that humans sypeior Teaming and ero sre ann part eto in this very ennai sys Mar Preema, a eo- olga the University of Masmchasets Motil Shoolin irestr ecouttons though, hat te biology ofow these pil els wort snot completely clear. There may be other aplanatins fo the sults ronan, who statis stots in ult es searching forthe ynes that iy strocyte lyon tone neon ‘Seta sigalalongorsiow ther down. I thos gene are ‘bofound in mice ndbumans hat means they ve been om Sve cross epi uesting tha the genes play 80n- tatole inthe bean Proeman sys. nfl, heandothersare Thunipolating then genes toes eat what the and how {hay att behavior and poesibly learang ad memory he spe: Weareon the cup ofthe fed becomingextemely ‘ut oigodendrocrtestt “We'vebeenstuck Site ovted Aug ia Note inthe synapse Gm saergespeton Mcmumspeedon ‘Slee “Silene 18 PG. Hayeon and M.Nedergar. "How d astroctespar- tips in ewa plastity Cl Spring Harbor Perspectives Indie ar 2015. vceanenar| ag 2201524

You might also like