summary: Researchers have elucidated the role of astrocytes, a type of brain cell, in the sense of smell and detection of odors.
This study reveals that the astrocyte serotonin transporter Slc22a3 mediates serotonin transport into cells and affects gene expression during olfactory stimulation. This process contributes to the generation of the neurotransmitter GABA, a key component of neural circuits for sensory perception.
This finding highlights the critical role of astrocytes in sensory processing and animal behavior.
Important facts:
- Olfactory stimulation increases the serotonin transporter Slc22a3 in astrocytes, enabling serotonin transport into cells.
- Once in astrocytes, serotonin binds to histones, DNA-bound proteins that control gene expression. This process influences the production of the neurotransmitter GABA.
- This finding highlights the plasticity of astrocytes and their ability to change properties and function in response to environmental stimuli, playing pivotal roles in sensory processing and behavior.
sauce: Baylor College of Medicine
To enjoy the aroma of your morning coffee or freshly baked cookies, or perceive the dangerous smell of something burning, your brain needs two types of cells, neurons and astrocytes, to work closely together. is.
Although studies have shown many changes that occur in neurons during smell, smell and perception, it remains unclear what the astrocytic response is and how it contributes to sensory experience.
Researchers from Baylor College of Medicine and Collaborating Institutions Report to Journal chemistry By analyzing astrocyte responses to olfactory stimuli, we have clarified a new mechanism necessary to maintain communication between astrocytes and neurons and to process olfaction.
“Previous studies have shown that under natural conditions in living animals, olfactory stimulation in the brain primarily activates neurons that change the genes they express to enable them to mediate olfaction.” said lead author and postdoc Dr. Debosmita Sardar. Assistant in the lab of Dr. Benjamin Deneen at Baylor University.
“In this study, we investigated what happens to astrocytes after neural activity during olfactory stimulation, revealing previously unreported changes.”
Olfactory stimulation caused an increase in the serotonin transporter Slc22a3 on astrocytes, which mediated serotonin transport into cells.
“We tracked serotonin in astrocytes and were surprised to find that serotonin translocates to the cell nucleus where it binds to histones, DNA-bound proteins that help regulate astrocyte gene expression. ‘ said Sardar.
“Serotonin bound to DNA acted as a switch and controlled gene expression.”
Interestingly, serotonin regulates the expression of astrocyte genes involved in the production of the neurotransmitter GABA, which feeds back into neurons that regulate the basic neural circuits of sensory perception.
“We found that loss of the transporter Slc22a3 in astrocytes reduces intracellular serotonin levels and causes changes in the DNA that bind serotonin,” Sardar said.
“In turn, this reduced the expression of genes involved in the synthesis of GABA, reduced GABA release from astrocytes, and disrupted the olfactory neural circuit.”
Besides contributing to normal brain function, serotonin is well known to be involved in addiction and depression.
“Here we discover a new function for serotonin in astrocytes. Serotonin triggers changes in astrocyte gene expression patterns, turning astrocytes into olfactory processing centers,” Sardar said.
“This project reveals new aspects of astrocyte function,” said Russell J. Brattner, Ph.D., Professor of Neurosurgery, Baylor University, and Marian K. Bratner, Ph.D. said Deneen, director of the National Neuroscience Center. He is also the corresponding author of this work.
“We are learning that astrocytes, like neurons, are highly plastic and can change their properties and function in response to environmental stimuli. Responding and their two-way communication are central to sensory processing and, ultimately, animal behavior.”
About this olfactory and neuroscience research news
author: Debosmita Sardar
sauce: Baylor College of Medicine
contact: Debosmita Sarder – Baylor College of Medicine
image: Image credited to Neuroscience News
Original research: closed access.
“Induction of Slc22a3 in astrocytes regulates sensory processing via histone serotonylation” Debosmita Sardar et al. chemistry
overview
Induction of Slc22a3 in astrocytes regulates sensory processing via histone serotonylation
Neuronal activity causes changes in gene expression within neurons, but it is unclear how it leads to transcriptional and epigenomic changes in neighboring astrocytes within functional circuits.
We found that neuronal activity induces widespread transcriptional upregulation and downregulation in astrocytes. Slc22a3 As an activity-inducible astrocyte gene that encodes the neuromodulator transporter Slc22a3 and regulates sensory processing in the mouse olfactory bulb.
Loss of astrocyte Slc22a3 reduces astrocyte serotonin levels and alters histone serotonylation. Inhibition of histone serotonylation in astrocytes reduced γ-aminobutyric acid (GABA) biosynthetic gene expression and GABA release, ultimately causing olfactory impairment.
Our study reveals that neural activity orchestrates transcriptional and epigenomic responses in astrocytes, and that astrocytes process neuromodulatory inputs to control neurotransmitter release for sensory processing. It shows a new mechanism on how to
