Control of astrocyte morphology by Rho GTPases

Publication date: Available online 11 May 2017
Source:Brain Research Bulletin
Author(s): Andre Zeug, Franziska E. Müller, Stefanie Anders, Michel K. Herde, Daniel Minge, Evgeni Ponimaskin, Christian Henneberger
Astrocytes modulate and support neuronal and synapse function via numerous mechanisms that often rely on diffusion of signalling molecules, ions or metabolites through extracellular space. As a consequence, the spatial arrangement and the distance between astrocyte processes and neuronal structures is of functional importance. Likewise, changes of astrocyte structure will affect the ability of astrocytes to interact with neurons. In contrast to neurons, where rapid morphology changes are critically involved in many aspects of physiological brain function, a role of astrocyte restructuring in brain physiology is only beginning to emerge. In neurons, small GTPases of the Rho family are powerful initiators and modulators of structural changes. Less is known about the functional significance of these signalling molecules in astrocytes. Here we review recent experimental evidence for the role of RhoA, Cdc42 and Rac1 in controlling dynamic astrocyte morphology as well as experimental tools and analytical approaches for studying astrocyte morphology changes.



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