ArticleProgress in neurobiology2022
Ultrastructural view of astrocyte arborization, astrocyte-astrocyte and astrocyte-synapse contacts, intracellular vesicle-like structures, and mitochondrial network.
Article in Progress in neurobiology, 2022. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 77 papers, 1 of them a synthesis that pooled it.
What it found
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The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.
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Who cites it
77 citing papers in PubMed, 1 synthesis or guideline pooled it, 117 citations in OpenAlex.
- Mitochondrial Transfer in the Neurovascular Unit, Not Only for Energy Rescue: A Systematic Review.Aging and disease · 2024Pooled it
- Dendritic shaft constrictions shape synaptic integration in neurons.Science advances · 2026Article
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- Perisynaptic Astrocytic Processes as Communication Hubs and Early Sites of Dysfunction.The Neuroscientist : a review journal bringing neurobiology, neurology and psychiatry · 2026Review
- Light-based modulation of astrocytic calcium for regulation of organelle dynamics and morphogenesis.The Journal of cell biology · 2026Article
- The multiple scales of astrocytic functional units.Nature neuroscience · 2026Review
- Article
- Membrane voltage multistability in coupled glial cells.bioRxiv : the preprint server for biology · 2026Article
- Cellular and molecular mechanisms of astrocyte plasticity in learning and memory.Trends in neurosciences · 2026Review
- Microfluidic device to study spatial and temporal response of astrocyte networks in response to changes in the biochemical milieu.Microsystems & nanoengineering · 2026Article
- On the molecular basis of enduring memory in neurons, and cell fate in fibroblasts.Nucleic acids research · 2026Review
- Targeting Reactive Astrocytes with Flavonoids to Alleviate Neuroinflammation and Promote Synaptic Function.Molecular neurobiology · 2026Review
- Ultrastructure of astrocytes using volume electron microscopy: A scoping review.The Journal of physiology · 2026Article
- Recent optical approaches for anatomical and functional dissection of neuron-astrocyte circuitry.The Journal of physiology · 2026Review
- Recent Advances in Mitochondrial Transplantation for Ischemic Stroke: A Review of in Vitro and in Vivo Studies.Translational stroke research · 2026Review
- Tuina Inhibits Synaptic Plasticity Through the Astrocytic NDRG2/GLT-1 Pathway to Alleviate Neuropathic Pain.Journal of cellular and molecular medicine · 2026Article
- Astrocyte-Mediated Plasticity: Multi-Scale Mechanisms Linking Synaptic Dynamics to Learning and Memory.Cells · 2025Review
- Astrocytic Connexin43 Channels Are Essential for Breathing Pattern Stabilization in the preBötzinger Complex.CNS neuroscience & therapeutics · 2025Article
- Early Life Injury Alters Spinal Astrocyte Development.The Journal of neuroscience : the official journal of the Society for Neuroscience · 2025Article
- Spatially patterned cytoskeletal organization shapes astrocyte branch complexity.bioRxiv : the preprint server for biology · 2025Article
17 more citing papers are in PubMed but not listed here.
Corrections and comments
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Authors and funding
21 authors at 3 institutions in 1 country.
Funding
Abstract
The complexity of astrocyte morphology and syncytial coupling through gap junctions are crucial for astrocyte function in the brain. However, the ultrastructural details of astrocyte arborization and interactions between neighboring astrocytes remain unknown. While a prevailing view is that synapses selectively contact peripheral astrocyte processes, the precise spatial-location selectivity of synapses abutting astrocytes is unresolved. Additionally, knowing the location and quantity of vesicles and mitochondria are prerequisites to answer two emerging questions - whether astrocytes have a signaling role within the brain and whether astrocytes are highly metabolically active. Here, we provided structural context for these questions by tracing and 3D reconstructing three neighboring astrocytes using serial block-face scanning electron microscopy. Our reconstructions reveal a spongiform astrocytic morphology resulting from the abundance of reflexive and leaflet processes. At the interfaces, varying sizes of astrocyte-astrocyte contacts were identified. Inside an astrocyte domain, synapses contact the entire astrocyte, and synapse-astrocyte contacts increase from soma to terminal leaflets. In contrast to densely packed vesicles at synaptic boutons, vesicle-like structures were scant within astrocytes. Lastly, astrocytes contain dense mitochondrial networks with a mitochondrial volume ratio similar to that of neurites. Together, these ultrastructural details should expand our understanding of functional astrocyte-astrocyte and astrocyte-neuron interactions.
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Registered trials
Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.