UCL Discovery
UCL home » Library Services » Electronic resources » UCL Discovery

‘Astrocytic cradle’ controls extracellular potassium and glutamate during synaptic transmission

Tiurikova, Olga; (2020) ‘Astrocytic cradle’ controls extracellular potassium and glutamate during synaptic transmission. Doctoral thesis (Ph.D), UCL (University College London). Green open access

[thumbnail of O_Tiurikova_PhD_thesis.pdf]
Preview
Text
O_Tiurikova_PhD_thesis.pdf

Download (3MB) | Preview

Abstract

It is widely recognised that astrocytes are able to shape synaptic transmission by restricting glutamate transients to the synaptic cleft. In this thesis, I demonstrate that during synaptic transmission K+ efflux through postsynaptic NMDA receptors depolarises the astrocytic membrane and thus slows down glial glutamate uptake. This effect involves the rectifying K+ channels (Kir4.1), predominantly located at perisynaptic astrocytic processes (PAPs). Genetic upregulation of this channel subtype in astrocytes does not affect glutamate transporters efficiency but curtails increase in presynaptic glutamate release probability during extracellular K+ rises. Thus, activity-dependent accumulation of extracellular K+ can boost glutamate release from the presynaptic site while decreasing astroglial glutamate uptake. Both factors occasion increased extrasynaptic glutamate escape and therefore inter-synaptic crosstalk in the hippocampus.

Type: Thesis (Doctoral)
Qualification: Ph.D
Title: ‘Astrocytic cradle’ controls extracellular potassium and glutamate during synaptic transmission
Event: UCL
Open access status: An open access version is available from UCL Discovery
Language: English
Additional information: Copyright © The Author 2020. Original content in this thesis is licensed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International (CC BY 4.0) Licence (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/). Any third-party copyright material present remains the property of its respective owner(s) and is licensed under its existing terms. Access may initially be restricted at the author’s request.
Keywords: Astrocyte, Kir4.1 channels, excitatory amino acid transporters
UCL classification: UCL
UCL > Provost and Vice Provost Offices
UCL > Provost and Vice Provost Offices > School of Life and Medical Sciences
UCL > Provost and Vice Provost Offices > School of Life and Medical Sciences > Faculty of Brain Sciences
UCL > Provost and Vice Provost Offices > School of Life and Medical Sciences > Faculty of Brain Sciences > UCL Queen Square Institute of Neurology
UCL > Provost and Vice Provost Offices > School of Life and Medical Sciences > Faculty of Brain Sciences > UCL Queen Square Institute of Neurology > Clinical and Experimental Epilepsy
URI: https://discovery.ucl.ac.uk/id/eprint/10094719
Downloads since deposit
169Downloads
Download activity - last month
Download activity - last 12 months
Downloads by country - last 12 months

Archive Staff Only

View Item View Item