title: Recent molecular approaches to understanding astrocyte function in vivo.
abstract: Astrocytes are a predominant glial cell type in the nervous systems, and are becoming recognized as important mediators of normal brain function as well as neurodevelopmental, neurological, and neurodegenerative brain diseases. Although numerous potential mechanisms have been proposed to explain the role of astrocytes in the normal and diseased brain, research into the physiological relevance of these mechanisms in vivo is just beginning. In this review, we will summarize recent developments in innovative and powerful molecular approaches, including knockout mouse models, transgenic mouse models, and astrocyte-targeted gene transfer/expression, which have led to advances in understanding astrocyte biology in vivo that were heretofore inaccessible to experimentation. We will examine the recently improved understanding of the roles of astrocytes - with an emphasis on astrocyte signaling - in the context of both the healthy and diseased brain, discuss areas where the role of astrocytes remains debated, and suggest new research directions.
authors.affiliation: Glia-Glia and Glia-Neuron Interactions Group, National Center for Scientific Research, UFR Biomedicale, Paris Descartes University Paris, France.
authors.forename: David
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Davila
authors.affiliation: Glia-Glia and Glia-Neuron Interactions Group, National Center for Scientific Research, UFR Biomedicale, Paris Descartes University Paris, France.
authors.forename: Karine
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Thibault
authors.affiliation: Department of Cell Biology and Neuroscience, and Center for Glial-Neuronal Interactions and Program in Cellular, Molecular and Developmental Biology, University of California at Riverside Riverside, CA, USA.
authors.forename: Todd A
authors.initials: TA
authors.lastname: Fiacco
authors.affiliation: Glia-Glia and Glia-Neuron Interactions Group, National Center for Scientific Research, UFR Biomedicale, Paris Descartes University Paris, France.
authors.forename: Cendra
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Agulhon
keywords: GPCR; astrocytes; chemogenetics; glial cell progenitors; knockout mice; neuron–glia interactions; transgenic mice; viral gene transduction