title: Development of astrocytes in the vertebrate eye.
abstract: Astrocytes represent the earliest glial population in the embryonic optic nerve, contributing critically to retinal angiogenesis and formation of brain-retinal-barrier. Despite of many developmental and clinical implications of astrocytes, answers to some of the most fundamental questions of this unique type of glial cells remain elusive. This review provides an overview of the current knowledge about the origination, proliferation, and differentiation of astrocytes, their journey from the optic nerve toward the neuroretina, and their involvement in physiological and pathological development of the visual system.
authors.affiliation: Stark Neuroscience Institute, Indiana University School of Medicine, Indianapolis, Indiana; Departments of Ophthalmology, Pathology, and Cell Biology, Columbia University, New York, New York.
authors.forename: Chenqi
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Tao
authors.forename: Xin
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Zhang
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001253:Astrocytes / Q000166:cytology / Q000378:metabolism*; D002454:Cell Differentiation / Q000502:physiology*; D049109:Cell Proliferation / Q000502:physiology*; D006801:Humans; D018919:Neovascularization, Physiologic / Q000502:physiology*; D012160:Retina / Q000166:cytology / Q000196:embryology*
keywords: Bmp; Fgf; GFAP; HIF; Lif; Pax2; Pdgf; RA; Shh; VEGF; astrocyte; optic disc; optic stalk