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Fusion-related Release of Glutamate from Astrocytes
Journal article   Open access   Peer reviewed

Fusion-related Release of Glutamate from Astrocytes

Qi Zhang, Tina Pangršič, Marko Kreft, Mojca Kržan, Nianzhen Li, Jai-Yoon Sul, Michael Halassa, Elisabeth Van Bockstaele, Robert Zorec and Philip G. Haydon
The Journal of biological chemistry, v 279(13), pp 12724-12733
26 Mar 2004
PMID: 14722063
url
https://doi.org/10.1074/jbc.M312845200View
Published, Version of Record (VoR) Open

Abstract

Although cell culture studies have implicated the presence of vesicle proteins in mediating the release of glutamate from astrocytes, definitive proof requires the identification of the glutamate release mechanism and the localization of this mechanism in astrocytes at synaptic locales. In cultured murine astrocytes we show an array of vesicle proteins, including SNARE proteins, and vesicular glutamate transporters that are required to fill vesicles with glutamate. Using immunocytochemistry and single-cell multiplex reverse transcription-PCR we demonstrate the presence of these proteins and their transcripts within astrocytes freshly isolated from the hippocampus. Moreover, immunoelectron microscopy demonstrates the presence of VGLUT1 in processes of astrocytes of the hippocampus. To determine whether calcium-dependent glutamate release is mediated by exocytosis, we expressed the SNARE motif of synaptobrevin II to prevent the formation of SNARE complexes, which reduces glutamate release from astrocytes. To further determine whether vesicular exocytosis mediates calcium-dependent glutamate release from astrocytes, we performed whole cell capacitance measurements from individual astrocytes and demonstrate an increase in whole cell capacitance, coincident with glutamate release. Together, these data allow us to conclude that astrocytes in situ express vesicle proteins necessary for filling vesicles with the chemical transmitter glutamate and that astrocytes release glutamate through a vesicle- or fusion-related mechanism.

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Web of Science research areas
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
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