Topic: Aldh1l1

Over recent years, there has been an increasing need for a better understanding of the identity and the roles of astrocytes and their involvement in cognitive abilities. Indeed, they play a crucial role in brain functions, they show primate-specific features, and they are relevant in several diseases. Investigations on astrocytes across evolution have rarely been performed. However, a comprehensive comparison of astrocytes in a diverse range of mammals is pivotal for understanding the morphology across species and the related modifications in gene expression and functions. Our project aims to

Noradrenergic (NA) neurons originating from the locus coeruleus (LC) serve as the primary source of noradrenaline in the brain and play a critical role in arousal and cognitive functions. Previous studies have shown a potential link between astrocyte activity in the LC and emotional dysfunction, and suggested that astrocytes may influence NA neuron activity by modulating extracellular ion and neurotransmitter concentrations or by releasing gliotransmitters. However, there is currently no evidence for direct communication between astrocytes and NA neurons in the LC. In this study, we addressed

Astrocytes constitute a heterogeneous population of cells in terms of function and morphology. Although several embryonic sources of cortical astrocytes have been reported, cortical progenitors located from the dorsal pallium are considered their main production site. However, the potential link between the heterogeneity of cortical astrocytes and their developmental origin remains elusive. Recently, we identified a new embryonic source for cortical protoplasmic astrocytes located outside of the dorsal pallium, in a restricted domain containing Aldh1L1-expressing cells. In order to further cha