Gene Expression at the Tripartite Synapse: Bridging the Gap Between Neurons and Astrocytes

Abstract

Astrocytes, a major class of glial cells, are an important element at the synapse where they engage in bidirectional crosstalk with neurons to regulate numerous aspects of neurotransmission, circuit function, and behavior. Mutations in synapse-related genes expressed in both neurons and astrocytes are central factors in a vast number of neurological disorders, making the proteins that they encode prominent targets for therapeutic intervention. Yet, while the roles of many of these synaptic proteins in neurons are well established, the functions of the same proteins in astrocytes are largely unknown. This gap in knowledge must be addressed to refine therapeutic approaches. In this chapter, we integrate multiomic meta-analysis and a comprehensive overview of current literature to show that astrocytes express an astounding number of genes that overlap with the neuronal and synaptic transcriptomes. Further, we highlight recent reports that characterize the expression patterns and potential novel roles of these genes in astrocytes in both physiological and pathological conditions, underscoring the importance of considering both cell types when investigating the function and regulation of synaptic proteins.

Keywords: Astrocyte; Neuron; Synaptic gene expression; Synaptic proteome; Tripartite synapse.