title: Defining the role of astrocytes in neuromodulation.
abstract: Astrocytes undergo elevations in intracellular calcium following activation of metabotropic receptors, which may trigger glutamate secretion and excitation of surrounding neurons. In this issue of Neuron, Fiacco et al. use transgenic mice that express a foreign G(q)-coupled receptor in astrocytes to show that selective stimulation of astrocytes is not sufficient to induce the release of glutamate.
authors.affiliation: The Solomon H. Snyder Department of Neuroscience, Johns Hopkins School of Medicine, 725 North Wolfe Street, WBSB 813, Baltimore, MD 21205, USA.
authors.forename: Nicolas X
authors.initials: NX
authors.lastname: Tritsch
authors.forename: Dwight E
authors.initials: DE
authors.lastname: Bergles
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001253:Astrocytes / Q000187:drug effects / Q000502:physiology*; D002118:Calcium / Q000378:metabolism; D018698:Glutamic Acid / Q000494:pharmacology; D051379:Mice; D008954:Models, Biological; D009474:Neurons / Q000502:physiology*; D018377:Neurotransmitter Agents / Q000502:physiology*; D005680:gamma-Aminobutyric Acid / Q000378:metabolism
chemical_list: D018377:Neurotransmitter Agents; D018698:Glutamic Acid; D005680:gamma-Aminobutyric Acid; D002118:Calcium