Astrocytes, by maintaining an optimal environment for neuronal function, play a critical role in proper function of mammalian nervous system. They regulate synaptic transmission and plasticity and protect neurons against toxic insults. Astrocytes and neurons interact actively via glutamine-glutamate cycle (GGC) that supports neuronal metabolic demands and neurotransmission. GGC deficiency may be involved in different diseases of the brain, where impaired astrocytic control of glutamate homeostasis contributes to neuronal dysfunction. This includes tau-dependent neurodegeneration, where astrocytes lose key molecules involved in regulation of glutamate/glutamine homeostasis, neuronal survival and synaptogenesis. Astrocytic dysfunction in tauopathy appears to precede neurodegeneration and overt tau neuropathology such as phosphorylation, aggregation and formation of neurofibrillary tangles. In this review, we summarize recent studies demonstrating that activation of astrocytes is strictly associated with neurodegenerative processes including those involved in tau related pathology. We propose that astrocytic dysfunction, by disrupting the proper neuron-glia signalling early in the disease, significantly contributes to tauopathy pathogenesis.
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November 2019
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Alpha hemolysin (HlyA) is the major virulence factor in uropthogenic-Escherichia coli. In this issue Strack and colleagues (pp. 3455–3473) studied the delivery of microvesicles by erythrocytes treated with sublytic concentrations of HlyA and revealed for the first time that an exogenous protein, such as a toxin, is eliminated by shedding microvesicles. The cover figure shows human erythrocytes treated with the toxin alpha hemolysin (HlyA) of E.coli. Image provided by Vanesa Herlax.
Review Article|
November 27 2019
Astroglial contribution to tau-dependent neurodegeneration
Marta Sidoryk-Węgrzynowicz;
Marta Sidoryk-Węgrzynowicz
Laboratory of Pathoneurochemistry, Department of Neurochemistry, Mossakowski Medical Research Centre, Polish Academy of Sciences, 5 Pawińskiego str, 02-106 Warsaw, Poland
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Lidia Strużyńska
Laboratory of Pathoneurochemistry, Department of Neurochemistry, Mossakowski Medical Research Centre, Polish Academy of Sciences, 5 Pawińskiego str, 02-106 Warsaw, Poland
Correspondence: Lidia Strużyńska (lidkas@imdik.pan.pl)
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Publisher: Portland Press Ltd
Received:
July 08 2019
Revision Received:
November 07 2019
Accepted:
November 08 2019
Online ISSN: 1470-8728
Print ISSN: 0264-6021
© 2019 The Author(s). Published by Portland Press Limited on behalf of the Biochemical Society
2019
Biochem J (2019) 476 (22): 3493–3504.
Article history
Received:
July 08 2019
Revision Received:
November 07 2019
Accepted:
November 08 2019
Citation
Marta Sidoryk-Węgrzynowicz, Lidia Strużyńska; Astroglial contribution to tau-dependent neurodegeneration. Biochem J 29 November 2019; 476 (22): 3493–3504. doi: https://doi.org/10.1042/BCJ20190506
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