Topic: IP3 receptor type 2

Astrocytes interact with neurons at a cellular and molecular level, modulating the synaptic formation, maturation, and function. Their unique morphology allows them to contact synaptic structures to sense, process, and respond to incoming signals. Astrocyte activation leads to intracellular calcium-dependent processes that ultimately modulate circuit function and animal behavior. The IP3 receptor type 2 knockout (IP3R2 KO) mouse model lacks calcium elevations upon astrocytic activation and, therefore, is a good model for studying the roles of intracellular calcium signaling in circuit function

Astrocytes are crucial for modulating synaptic activity and behavior through bidirectional communication with neurons. They sense and respond to neuronal activity by elevating intracellular calcium levels, which display complex spatiotemporal properties. To disclose its implications for behavior, we studied the IP3 receptor type 2 knockout (IP3R2 KO) mouse model that lacks global calcium elevations in astrocytes. We found that mice lacking IP3R2 display enhanced fear memory. Molecular analysis of hippocampal tissues revealed hundreds of up or down-regulated genes, among which 76 of those are m