Projects per year
Abstract / Description of output
The influence that neurons exert on astrocytic function is poorly understood. To investigate this, we first developed a system combining cortical neurons and astrocytes from closely related species, followed by RNA-seq and in silico species separation. This approach uncovers a wide programme of neuron-induced astrocytic gene expression, involving Notch signalling, which drives and maintains astrocytic maturity and neurotransmitter uptake function, is conserved in human development, and is disrupted by neurodegeneration. Separately, hundreds of astrocytic genes are acutely regulated by synaptic activity via mechanisms involving cAMP/PKA-dependent CREB activation. This includes the coordinated activity-dependent upregulation of major astrocytic components of the astrocyte–neuron lactate shuttle, leading to a CREB-dependent increase in astrocytic glucose metabolism and elevated lactate export. Moreover, the groups of astrocytic genes induced by neurons or neuronal activity both show age-dependent decline in humans. Thus, neurons and neuronal activity regulate the astrocytic transcriptome with the potential to shape astrocyte–neuron metabolic cooperation.
Original language | English |
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Article number | 15132 |
Pages (from-to) | 1-17 |
Number of pages | 17 |
Journal | Nature Communications |
Volume | 8 |
DOIs | |
Publication status | Published - 2 May 2017 |
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Dive into the research topics of 'Neurons and neuronal activity control gene expression in astrocytes to regulate their development and metabolism'. Together they form a unique fingerprint.Projects
- 2 Finished
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Future-Proofing the sustainability of the MRC high throughput sequencing hub in Scotland
Blaxter, M.
1/10/12 → 30/09/14
Project: Research
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Research output
- 1 Comment/debate
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Erratum: Author Correction: Neurons and neuronal activity control gene expression in astrocytes to regulate their development and metabolism (Nature communications (2017) 8 (15132))
Hasel, P., Dando, O., Jiwaji, Z., Baxter, P., Todd, A. C., Heron, S., Márkus, N. M., McQueen, J., Hampton, D. W., Torvell, M., Tiwari, S. S., McKay, S., Eraso-Pichot, A., Zorzano, A., Masgrau, R., Galea, E., Chandran, S., Wyllie, D. J. A., Simpson, T. I. & Hardingham, G. E., 6 Feb 2018, In: Nature Communications. 9, 1 p.Research output: Contribution to journal › Comment/debate › peer-review
Open Access
Profiles
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David Hampton
- Deanery of Clinical Sciences - Postdoctoral Research Fellow
- Centre for Clinical Brain Sciences
- Euan MacDonald Centre for Motor Neuron Disease Research
- Edinburgh Neuroscience
Person: Academic: Research Active (Research Assistant)
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Giles Hardingham
- Deanery of Biomedical Sciences - City of Edinburgh Chair of Pharmacology
- Centre for Discovery Brain Sciences
- Euan MacDonald Centre for Motor Neuron Disease Research
- Edinburgh Neuroscience
- Edinburgh Imaging
Person: Academic: Research Active
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Ian Simpson
- School of Informatics - Personal Chair of Biomedical Informatics
- Institute for Adaptive and Neural Computation
- Edinburgh Neuroscience
- Data Science and Artificial Intelligence
Person: Academic: Research Active