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Glutamate uptake into astrocytes stimulates aerobic glycolysis: a mechanism coupling neuronal activity to glucose utilization.
Open accessAbstract
Glutamate, released at a majority of excitatory synapses in the central nervous system, depolarizes neurons by acting at specific receptors. Its action is terminated by removal from the synaptic cleft mostly via Na(+)-dependent uptake systems located on both neurons and astrocytes. Here we report that glutamate, in addition to its receptor-mediated actions on neuronal excitability, stimulates glycolysis--i.e., glucose utilization and lactate production--in astrocytes. This metabolic action is mediated by activation of a Na(+)-dependent uptake system and not by interaction with receptors. The mechanism involves the Na+/K(+)-ATPase, which is activated by an increase in the intracellular concentration of Na+ cotransported with glutamate by the electrogenic uptake system. Thus, when glutamate is released from active synapses and taken up by astrocytes, the newly identified signaling pathway described here would provide a simple and direct mechanism to tightly couple neuronal activity to glucose utilization. In addition, glutamate-stimulated glycolysis is consistent with data obtained from functional brain imaging studies indicating local nonoxidative glucose utilization during physiological activation.
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In the citing paper
“Astrocytes are essential CNS cells for glucose uptake (Pellerin and Magistretti 1994; Pellerin 2018).”
From LDL Cholesterol Modulates Astrocyte Metabolism, Lipid Handling, and Morphology: Evidence From In Vitro and In Vivo Models (2026) · cites this paper as Pellerin and Magistretti 1994
Experimental — accuracy not yet measuredIn the citing paper
“Lactate taken up by neurons is reconverted into pyruvate and ultimately utilized by mitochondria to generate ATP.”
From Energy paradox in REM sleep: balancing supply and consumption in brain metabolism (2026) · cites this paper as [12]
In the citing paper
“Lactate produced in astrocytes can be released into the extracellular space via monocarboxylate transporters (MCTs). This lactate is subsequently taken up by neurons through neuronal MCTs, a process known as the astrocyte–neuron lactate shuttle (ANLS)12,13.”
From Energy paradox in REM sleep: balancing supply and consumption in brain metabolism (2026) · cites this paper as [12]
In the citing paper
“This may distinguish oligodendrocytes from astrocytes that express LDH and reportedly use a”
From Downregulated expression of lactate dehydrogenase in adult oligodendrocytes and its implication for the transfer of glycolysis products to axons (2024) · cites this paper as Pellerin & Magistretti, 1994
In the citing paper
“the calculation of the average metabolic cost per neuron defined here as the total metabolic cost of a structure divided by its number of neurons is justified by the finding that neurons and astrocytes are metabolically coupled [30].”
From Scaling of Brain Metabolism with a Fixed Energy Budget per Neuron: Implications for Neuronal Activity, Plasticity and Evolution (2011) · cites this paper as [30]
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Bélanger, M., Allaman, I., & Magistretti, P. J. (2011) · Cell Metabolism · doi:10.1016/j.cmet.2011.08.016 · Cited by 2,313
“The stimulation of astrocytic glucose utilization by glutamate was subsequently confirmed by several independent groups (reviewed in Pellerin et al., 2007; Barros and Deitmer, 2010).”
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Harris, J. J., Jolivet, R., & Attwell, D. (2012) · Neuron · doi:10.1016/j.neuron.2012.08.019 · Cited by 1,747
“This is 200 Hz for a refractory period ofDt = 2.5 ms, yet in practice the mean firing rate of neurons in vivo is much lower than this, around 4 Hz (Attwell and Laughlin, 2001; Perge et al., 2009).”
Influential
Metadata
- Authors
- Pellerin, L., & Magistretti, P. J.
- Affiliations
- University of Lausanne (CH)
- Venue
- Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences
- Publisher
- National Academy of Sciences
- Published
- 1994-10-25
- Volume
- 91
- Issue
- 22
- Pages
- 10625-10629
- ISSN
- 0027-8424 (ISSN-L)
- 1091-6490
- PMC
- PMC45074
- OpenAlex
- W2092635505
- Cited by
- 2,927
- References
- 41
- Citations by year
- 2026: 143 · 2025: 146 · 2024: 138 · 2023: 137 · 2022: 147 · 2021: 168 · 2020: 122 · 2019: 133 · 2018: 109 · 2017: 113 · 2016: 107 · 2015: 116 · 2014: 126 · 2013: 91 · 2012: 88
- FWCI
- 10.61
- Type
- journal article
- Language
- en
- Open access
- bronze
- doi.org
- Locations
- Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences (publishedVersion)
- PubMed Central (publishedVersion)
- PubMed (publishedVersion)
- Infoscience (Ecole Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne) (submittedVersion)
- Infoscience (Ecole Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne) (submittedVersion, cc-by-nc-nd)
- IRIS (submittedVersion)
- SERVAL (Université de Lausanne) (submittedVersion)
- Topics
- Life Sciences › Neuroscience › Cellular and Molecular Neuroscience › Neuroscience and Neuropharmacology Research
- Life Sciences › Biochemistry, Genetics and Molecular Biology › Biochemistry › Amino Acid Enzymes and Metabolism
- Life Sciences › Neuroscience › Neurology › Neuroinflammation and Neurodegeneration Mechanisms
- Keywords
- glutamate uptake, astrocytes, aerobic glycolysis, Na+/K+-ATPase, neuronal activity, glucose utilization, lactic acid production, nonoxidative glucose metabolism, astrocyte-neuron interaction
- MeSH terms
- Sodium-Potassium-Exchanging ATPase, Aerobiosis, Animals, Animals, Newborn, Astrocytes, Biological Transport, Brain, Cells, Cultured, Cerebral Cortex, Deoxyglucose, Glycolysis, Lactates, Models, Neurological, Neurons, Radionuclide Imaging, Tritium, Excitatory Amino Acid Antagonists, Glutamic Acid, Mice
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