Topic: atypical astrocytes

ePoster: 2 ePosters

Atypical astrocytes in the aging brain: An underreported phenotype where downregulated membrane proteins disrupt glial regulated homeostatic capacities

Mary Sommer, Moritz Armbruster, Reyna Gariepy, Panorea Tirja, Miranda Elizabeth Good, Saptarnab Naskar, Michael Mcconnell, Knarik Arkun, Chenghua Gu, Chris Dulla · FENS Forum 2024

Healthy brain activity relies on the presence of key astrocytic proteins: the excitatory amino acid transporters (EAAT1/2), inwardly rectifying K+ channel (Kir4.1), aquaporin-4 (AQP4) among others. In the aging cortex, we report a novel phenotype of individual, sparse, non-reactive astrocytes with unchanged morphology, but greatly reduced levels of EAATs, Kir4.1, AQP4, and other astrocytic proteins, while bordering cells retain robust immunolabeling. Astrocyte tiling remains intact leaving these domains without many essential astrocytic functions. Already documented in a concussive mouse model

ePoster · Neuroscience

Exploring the potential role of atypical astrocytes in the early stages of Alzheimer’s disease in the APP NL-G-F mouse model

Panorea Tirja, Mary Sommer, Moritz Armbruster, Reyna Gariepy, Thomas Holtz, Miranda Good, Knarik Arkun, Chris Dulla · FENS Forum 2024

Atypical astrocytes (AtAs) are a distinct subset of non-reactive astrocytes in the brain characterized by dramatically diminished expression of excitatory amino acid transporters (GLAST, GLT1) and other astrocytic proteins. Our ongoing research on the development and progression of AtAs in naïve wild type (WT) mice has shown significant regional and age effects. We have also shown that brain tissue from confirmed Alzheimer’s Disease (AD) patients, as well as healthy controls, have areas of presumptive AtAs. This study aims to further explore the role of AtAs in AD pathology utilizing the APPNL

ePoster · Neuroscience