title: Astrocytic Vesicle-based Exocytosis in Cultures and Acutely Isolated Hippocampal Rodent Slices.
abstract: Astrocytes are excitable neural cells that contribute to brain information processing via bidirectional communication with neurons. This involves the release of gliosignaling molecules that affect synapses patterning and activity. Mechanisms mediating the release of these molecules likely consist of non-vesicular and vesicular-based mechanisms. It is the vesicle-based regulated exocytosis that is an evolutionary more complex process. It is well established that the release of gliosignaling molecules has profound effects on information processing in different brain regions (e.g., hippocampal astrocytes contribute to long-term potentiation [LTP]), which has traditionally been considered as one of the cellular mechanisms underlying learning and memory. However, the paradigm of vesicle-based regulated release of gliosignaling molecules from astrocytes is still far from being unanimously accepted. One of the most important questions is to what extent can the conclusions obtained from cultured astrocytes be translated to in vivo conditions. Here, we overview the properties of vesicle mobility and their fusion with the plasma membrane in cultured astrocytes and compare these parameters to those recorded in astrocytes from acute brain hippocampal slices. The results from both experimental models are similar, which validates experiments on isolated astrocytes and further supports arguments in favor of in vivo vesicle-based exocytotic release of gliosignaling molecules. © 2017 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
authors.affiliation: Laboratory of Neuroendocrinology-Molecular Cell Physiology, Faculty of Medicine, University of Ljubljana, Zaloška 4, 1000, Ljubljana, Slovenia.|Celica Biomedical, Tehnološki Park 24, 1000, Ljubljana, Slovenia.
authors.forename: Jernej
authors.identifier: 0000-0003-3550-2011
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Jorgačevski
authors.affiliation: Laboratory of Neuroendocrinology-Molecular Cell Physiology, Faculty of Medicine, University of Ljubljana, Zaloška 4, 1000, Ljubljana, Slovenia.|Celica Biomedical, Tehnološki Park 24, 1000, Ljubljana, Slovenia.
authors.forename: Maja
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Potokar
authors.affiliation: Laboratory of Neuroendocrinology-Molecular Cell Physiology, Faculty of Medicine, University of Ljubljana, Zaloška 4, 1000, Ljubljana, Slovenia.|Celica Biomedical, Tehnološki Park 24, 1000, Ljubljana, Slovenia.|Department of Biology, Biotechnical Faculty, University of Ljubljana, Večna pot 111, 1000, Ljubljana, Slovenia.
authors.forename: Marko
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Kreft
authors.affiliation: Laboratory of Neuroendocrinology-Molecular Cell Physiology, Faculty of Medicine, University of Ljubljana, Zaloška 4, 1000, Ljubljana, Slovenia.
authors.forename: Alenka
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Guček
authors.affiliation: Team Gliotransmission and Synaptopathies, Aix-Marseille Université, CNRS, CRN2M UMR7286, Marseille, France.
authors.forename: Jean-Pierre
authors.initials: JP
authors.lastname: Mothet
authors.affiliation: Laboratory of Neuroendocrinology-Molecular Cell Physiology, Faculty of Medicine, University of Ljubljana, Zaloška 4, 1000, Ljubljana, Slovenia.|Celica Biomedical, Tehnološki Park 24, 1000, Ljubljana, Slovenia.
authors.forename: Robert
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Zorec
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001253:Astrocytes / Q000378:metabolism*; D002462:Cell Membrane / Q000378:metabolism; D002478:Cells, Cultured; D005089:Exocytosis / Q000502:physiology*; D006624:Hippocampus / Q000166:cytology / Q000378:metabolism*; D017774:Long-Term Potentiation / Q000502:physiology; D009924:Organ Culture Techniques; D012377:Rodentia; D013572:Synaptic Vesicles / Q000378:metabolism; D022161:Transport Vesicles / Q000378:metabolism*
keywords: astrocytes; brain slices; exocytosis; glia; vesicle mobility; vesicles