title: Astrocytes as secretory cells of the central nervous system: idiosyncrasies of vesicular secretion.
abstract: Astrocytes are housekeepers of the central nervous system (CNS) and are important for CNS development, homeostasis and defence. They communicate with neurones and other glial cells through the release of signalling molecules. Astrocytes secrete a wide array of classic neurotransmitters, neuromodulators and hormones, as well as metabolic, trophic and plastic factors, all of which contribute to the gliocrine system. The release of neuroactive substances from astrocytes occurs through several distinct pathways that include diffusion through plasmalemmal channels, translocation by multiple transporters and regulated exocytosis. As in other eukaryotic cells, exocytotic secretion from astrocytes involves divergent secretory organelles (synaptic-like microvesicles, dense-core vesicles, lysosomes, exosomes and ectosomes), which differ in size, origin, cargo, membrane composition, dynamics and functions. In this review, we summarize the features and functions of secretory organelles in astrocytes. We focus on the biogenesis and trafficking of secretory organelles and on the regulation of the exocytotic secretory system in the context of healthy and diseased astrocytes.
authors.affiliation: Faculty of Life Sciences, The University of Manchester, Manchester, UK Achucarro Center for Neuroscience, IKERBASQUE Basque Foundation for Science, Bilbao, Spain Department of Neurosciences, University of the Basque Country UPV/EHU and CIBERNED, Leioa, Spain University of Nizhny Novgorod, Nizhny Novgorod, Russia Laboratory of Neuroendocrinology-Molecular Cell Physiology, Faculty of Medicine, Institute of Pathophysiology University of Ljubljana, Ljubljana, Slovenia Celica BIOMEDICAL, Ljubljana, Slovenia Alexej.Verkhratsky@manchester.ac.uk m.matteoli@in.cnr.it vlad@uab.edu jean-pierre.mothet@univ-amu.fr robert.zorec@mf.uni-lj.si.
authors.forename: Alexei
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Verkhratsky
authors.affiliation: CNR Institute of Neuroscience, Milano, Italy Humanitas Research Hospital, Rozzano, Italy Alexej.Verkhratsky@manchester.ac.uk m.matteoli@in.cnr.it vlad@uab.edu jean-pierre.mothet@univ-amu.fr robert.zorec@mf.uni-lj.si.
authors.forename: Michela
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Matteoli
authors.affiliation: Department of Neurobiology, Civitan International Research Center and Center for Glial Biology in Medicine, Evelyn F. McKnight Brain Institute, Atomic Force Microscopy & Nanotechnology Laboratories University of Alabama at Birmingham, Birmingham, AL, USA Alexej.Verkhratsky@manchester.ac.uk m.matteoli@in.cnr.it vlad@uab.edu jean-pierre.mothet@univ-amu.fr robert.zorec@mf.uni-lj.si.
authors.forename: Vladimir
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Parpura
authors.affiliation: Team Gliotransmission & Synaptopathies, Aix-Marseille University CNRS, CRN2M UMR7286, Marseille, France Alexej.Verkhratsky@manchester.ac.uk m.matteoli@in.cnr.it vlad@uab.edu jean-pierre.mothet@univ-amu.fr robert.zorec@mf.uni-lj.si.
authors.forename: Jean-Pierre
authors.initials: JP
authors.lastname: Mothet
authors.affiliation: Laboratory of Neuroendocrinology-Molecular Cell Physiology, Faculty of Medicine, Institute of Pathophysiology University of Ljubljana, Ljubljana, Slovenia Celica BIOMEDICAL, Ljubljana, Slovenia Alexej.Verkhratsky@manchester.ac.uk m.matteoli@in.cnr.it vlad@uab.edu jean-pierre.mothet@univ-amu.fr robert.zorec@mf.uni-lj.si.
authors.forename: Robert
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Zorec
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001253:Astrocytes / Q000502:physiology*; D002450:Cell Communication; D002490:Central Nervous System / Q000166:cytology* / Q000502:physiology; D006801:Humans; D036341:Intercellular Signaling Peptides and Proteins / Q000378:metabolism*; D021381:Protein Transport; D055571:Secretory Pathway; D022142:Secretory Vesicles / Q000378:metabolism*
chemical_list: D036341:Intercellular Signaling Peptides and Proteins
keywords: SNARE proteins; astrocytes; exocytosis; secretion; secretory vesicles