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