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Physiological Functions of Glial Cell Hemichannels

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Glial Cells in Health and Disease of the CNS

Part of the book series: Advances in Experimental Medicine and Biology ((AEMB,volume 949))

Abstract

The brain performs exceptionally complex and dynamic tasks that depend on the coordinated interaction of neurons, glial cells, endothelial cells, pericytes, smooth muscle cells, ependymal cells, and circulating blood cells. Among these cells, glial cells have emerged as crucial protagonists in the regulation of synaptic transmission and neural function. Indeed, these cells express a wide range of receptors that enable them to sense changes in neuronal activity and the microenvironment by responding locally via the release of bioactive molecules known as gliotransmitters. In the central nervous system (CNS), a novel mechanism that allows gliotransmission via the opening of hemichannels has been proposed. These channels are composed of six protein subunits consisting of connexins or pannexins, which are two highly conserved protein families that are encoded by 21 and 3 genes, respectively, in humans. Typically, glial cell hemichannels exhibit low levels of activity, but this activity is sufficient to ensure the release of a broad spectrum of gliotransmitters, including ATP, D-serine, glutamate, adenosine, and glutathione. Here, we briefly review the current findings regarding the effects of the hemichannel-dependent release of gliotransmitters on the physiology of the CNS.

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Abbreviations

Arc:

Arcuate

ATP:

Adenosine triphosphate

BLA:

Basolateral amygdala

[Ca2+]i :

Intracellular free Ca2+ concentration

CSF:

Cerebrospinal fluid

CNS:

Central nervous system

Cx26:

Connexin26

Cx36:

Connexin36

Cx43:

Connexin43

GFAP:

Glial fibrillary acidic protein

GJCs:

Gap junction channels

kDa:

Kilodalton

KO:

Knockout

NAD+ :

Nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide

NMDA:

N-methyl-D-aspartate

MAP2:

Microtubule-associated protein 2

MBH:

Mediobasal hypothalamus

MI:

Metabolic inhibition

Panx1:

Pannexin1

Panx2:

Pannexin2

PGE2 :

Prostaglandin E2

RTN:

Retrotrapezoid nucleus

siRNA:

Small interfering ribonucleic acid

VMH:

Ventromedial hypothalamic nuclei

VMS:

Ventral medullary surface

TDCS:

Transcranial direct current stimulation

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Acknowledgments

This work was partially supported by the Fondo Nacional de Desarrollo Científico y Tecnológico (FONDECYT) Grant 11121133 (to JAO), 1160710 (to JAO), the Comisión Nacional de Investigación Científica y Tecnológica (CONICYT) and Programa de Investigación Asociativa (PIA) Grant Anillo de Ciencia y Tecnología ACT1411 (to JAO). We apologize to the authors and groups whose work we did not cite due to space limitations.

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  1. Departamento de Neurología, Escuela de Medicina, Pontificia Universidad Católica de Chile, Marcoleta #391, Santiago, Chile

    Juan A. Orellana

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  1. Faculty of Medicine Professor of Neurology, Pontificia Universidad Católica de Chile, Santiago, Chile

    Rommy von Bernhardi

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Orellana, J.A. (2016). Physiological Functions of Glial Cell Hemichannels. In: von Bernhardi, R. (eds) Glial Cells in Health and Disease of the CNS. Advances in Experimental Medicine and Biology, vol 949. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-40764-7_5

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