Abstract
Neuroglial interactions are now recognized as essential to brain functions. Extensive research has sought to understand the modalities of such dialog by focusing on astrocytes, the most abundant glial cell type of the central nervous system. Neuron–astrocyte exchanges occur at multiple levels, at different cellular locations. With regard to information processing, regulations occurring around synapses are of particular interest as synaptic networks are thought to underlie higher brain functions. Astrocytes morphology is tremendously complex in that their processes exceedingly branch out to eventually form multitudinous fine leaflets. The latter extremities have been shown to surround many synapses, forming perisynaptic astrocytic processes, which although recognized as essential to synaptic functioning, are poorly defined elements due to their tiny size. The current review sums up the current knowledge on their molecular and structural properties as well as the functional characteristics making them good candidates for information processing units.
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Acknowledgments
This work was supported by grants from French Research Agency (ANR, Programme Blanc), City of Paris (Programme Emergence), INSERM, CNRS and Collège de France to N.R., Labex Memolife to G.D. and from the Paris 6 University doctoral school ED3C to G.G.
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G. Dallérac and N. Rouach contributed equally to this work.
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Ghézali, G., Dallérac, G. & Rouach, N. Perisynaptic astroglial processes: dynamic processors of neuronal information. Brain Struct Funct 221, 2427–2442 (2016). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00429-015-1070-3
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00429-015-1070-3