Host: The Physiological Society of Japan
Glial cells outnumber neurons by about ten to one in the adult human brain but their physiological roles have been traditionally postulated to be restricted to nutritional support of neurons. Progress in glial cell biology in the last ten years revealed a variety of dynamic functions of glial cell, such as regulated exocytosis in astrocytes, coordination of motility and phagocytosis in microglial cells, and synaptic communication of NG2 glial cells with neurons. Furthermore, sophisticated optical approaches in combination with development of in vivo preparation for brain imaging illustrated intimate functional and morphological relationship between neurons and glial cells in situ. Neuron-glia interaction may also be a key component in pathophysiology of neurodegenerative diseases and psychiatric disorders. I will summarize the recent advancement in this field and briefly introduce our own findings on the role of astrocytes in excitatory synapse formation and maturation in the hippocampus. [J Physiol Sci. 2008;58 Suppl:S10]
