Astrocyte plasticity in learning and memory
Neuronal hallmark features of learning and memory, such as activity dependent plasticity, circuit-level modulation, and gene regulatory mechanisms, are also observed in astrocytes.
Astrocytic calcium displays plastic, activity-dependent recruitment and refinement (akin to neuronal activity) across neuronal subtypes, brain regions, and behavioral paradigms, and Designer Receptors Exclusively Activated by Designer Drugs (DREADDs)-mediated manipulations highlight astrocytic recruitment of circuit-specific neurons.
Astrocyte peripheral processes display activity-dependent plasticity and are able to discriminate between neuronal subtypes, circuits, and even individual synapses.
Single-cell RNA sequencing reveals molecularly defined subtypes of astrocytes that display unique transcriptional responses to learning and memory and implicates potential ‘ensemble’-like networks of astrocytes.
https://www.cell.com/trends/neurosciences/fulltext/S0166-2236(26)00047-0
