Cited by 240Neuroscience and Neuropharmacology ResearchGenetic Neurodegenerative DiseasesNeuroinflammation and Neurodegeneration Mechanisms

Dysfunctional Calcium and Glutamate Signaling in Striatal Astrocytes from Huntington's Disease Model Mice

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Jiang, Ruotian, Diaz-Castro, Blanca, Looger, Loren L., Khakh, Baljit S.·2016·The Journal of Neuroscience

Abstract

Astrocytes tile the entire CNS, but their functions within neural circuits in health and disease remain incompletely understood. We used genetically encoded Ca 2+ and glutamate indicators to explore the rules for astrocyte engagement in the corticostriatal circuit of adult wild-type (WT) and Huntington's disease (HD) model mice at ages not accompanied by overt astrogliosis (at approximately postnatal days 70–80). WT striatal astrocytes displayed extensive spontaneous Ca 2+ signals, but did not respond to cortical stimulation, implying that astrocytes were largely disengaged from cortical input in healthy tissue. In contrast, in HD model mice, spontaneous Ca 2+ signals were significantly reduced in frequency, duration, and amplitude, but astrocytes responded robustly to cortical stimulation with evoked Ca 2+ signals. These action-potential-dependent astrocyte Ca 2+ signals were mediated by neuronal glutamate release during cortical stimulation, accompanied by prolonged extracellular glutamate levels near astrocytes and tightly gated by Glt1 glutamate transporters. Moreover, dysfunctional Ca 2+ and glutamate signaling that was observed in HD model mice was largely, but not completely, rescued by astrocyte specific restoration of Kir4.1, emphasizing the important contributions of K + homeostatic mechanisms that are known to be reduced in HD model mice. Overall, our data show that astrocyte engagement in the corticostriatal circuit is markedly altered in HD. Such prodromal astrocyte dysfunctions may represent novel therapeutic targets in HD and other brain disorders. SIGNIFICANCE STATEMENT We report how early-onset astrocyte dysfunction without detectable astrogliosis drives disease-related processes in a mouse model of Huntington's disease (HD). The cellular mechanisms involve astrocyte homeostasis and signaling mediated by Kir4.1, Glt1, and Ca 2+ . The data show that the rules for astrocyte engagement in a neuronal circuit are fundamentally altered in a brain disease caused by a known molecular defect and that fixing early homeostasis dysfunction remedies additional cellular deficits. Overall, our data suggest that key aspects of altered striatal function associated with HD may be triggered, at least in part, by dysfunctional astrocytes, thereby providing details of an emerging striatal microcircuit mechanism in HD. Such prodromal changes in astrocytes may represent novel therapeutic targets.

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Crossref · 10.1523/jneurosci.3693-15.2016

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  • Astrocyte Ca2+ dynamics and network responses become aberrant in mouse models of HD, AD, and ALS, possibly contributing to cognitive impairment and neuropathology.

    “Astrocyte Ca2+ dynamics and network responses become aberrant in mouse models of HD53, AD54, and ALS55, possibly contributing to cognitive impairment and neuropathology43,53,56.”

    From Reactive astrocyte nomenclature, definitions, and future directions (2021) · cites this paper as [53]

    The Significance Statement (p. 2) and Discussion (p. 16) support aberrant astrocyte Ca2+ signaling and altered circuit engagement in HD model mice. The paper suggests these changes may contribute to altered striatal function, but it does not establish a contribution to cognitive impairment; the Discussion (p. 17) says a mechanism linking the cellular findings to HD symptoms remains unresolved. The AD and ALS portions of the citing sentence have separate citations and are not attributed to this source. (LLM, conf=0.84)

    Experimental — accuracy not yet measured
  • Optogenetics and DREADDs are potential tools to manipulate reactive astrocytes or to restore their aberrant Ca2+ signaling observed in mouse models of neurodegenerative diseases.

    “Optogenetics25 and designer receptors exclusively activated by designer drugs (DREADDs)25 are potential tools to manipulate reactive astrocytes or to restore their aberrant Ca2+ signaling observed in mouse models of neurodegenerative diseases53–55.”

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Authors
Jiang, R., Diaz-Castro, B., Looger, L. L., & Khakh, B. S.
Affiliations
  • Howard Hughes Medical Institute (US)
  • University of California, Los Angeles (US)
Venue
The Journal of Neuroscience
Published
2016-03-23
Volume
36
Issue
12
Pages
3453-3470
ISSN
  • 0270-6474 (ISSN-L)
  • 1529-2401
OpenAlex
W2307837122
Cited by
237
References
66
Citations by year
2026: 11 · 2025: 13 · 2024: 38 · 2023: 31 · 2022: 22 · 2021: 25 · 2020: 22 · 2019: 30 · 2018: 21 · 2017: 11 · 2016: 12
FWCI
13.84
Type
journal article
Language
en
Open access
Locations
  • Journal of Neuroscience (publishedVersion, cc-by-nc-sa)
  • PubMed Central (publishedVersion)
  • PubMed (publishedVersion)
  • eScholarship (California Digital Library) (submittedVersion, cc-by-nc-sa)
Funders
  • Howard Hughes Medical Institute
  • CHDI Foundation
  • National Institutes of Health
  • National Institute of Mental Health (MH104069, DP1MH104069)
  • National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke (NS060677, R01NS060677)
Topics
  • Life Sciences › Neuroscience › Cellular and Molecular Neuroscience › Neuroscience and Neuropharmacology Research
  • Life Sciences › Neuroscience › Cellular and Molecular Neuroscience › Genetic Neurodegenerative Diseases
  • Life Sciences › Neuroscience › Neurology › Neuroinflammation and Neurodegeneration Mechanisms
Keywords
Huntington's disease, striatal astrocytes, astrocyte calcium signaling, glutamate signaling, corticostriatal circuits, Kir4.1, extracellular glutamate, genetically encoded calcium indicators
MeSH terms
Animals, Astrocytes, Calcium, Corpus Striatum, Female, Huntington Disease, Male, Mice, Inbred C57BL, Signal Transduction, Glutamic Acid, Mice

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