Modeling human‐specific interlaminar astrocytes in the mouse cerebral cortex
Year: 2020
Type: article
Abstract: Astrocytes, a highly heterogeneous population of glial cells, serve as essential regulators of brain development and homeostasis. The heterogeneity of astrocyte populations underlies the diversity in their functions. In addition to the typical mammalian astrocyte architecture, the cerebral cortex of humans exhibits a radial distribution of interlaminar astrocytes in the supragranular layers. These primate-specific interlaminar astrocytes are located in the superficial layer and project long processes traversing multiple layers of the cerebral cortex. However, due to the lack of accessible experimental models, their functional properties and their role in regulating neuronal circuits remain unclear. Here we modeled human interlaminar astrocytes in humanized glial chimeric mice by engrafting astrocytes differentiated from human-induced pluripotent stem cells into the mouse cortex. This model provides a novel platform for understanding neuron-glial interaction and its alterations in neurological diseases.
DOI: 10.1002/cne.24979
Institution: University of Nebraska Medical Center
Language: English
Subfield: Cellular and Molecular Neuroscience
Field: Neuroscience
Domain: Life Sciences
Open Access status: hybrid
Estimated APC paid: $4,300
OpenAlex ID: W3042019624