| Author/Editor | Potokar, Maja; Morita, Mitsuhiro; Wiche, Gerhard; Jorgačevski, Jernej | |
| Title | The diversity of intermediate filaments in astrocytes | |
| Type | članek | |
| Vol. and No. | Letnik 9, št. 7 | |
| Publication year | 2020 | |
| Volume | str. 1-24 | |
| ISSN | 2073-4409 - Cells (Basel, Switzerland) | |
| Language | eng | |
| Abstract | Despite the remarkable complexity of the individual neuron and of neuronal circuits, it hasbeen clear for quite a while that, in order to understand the functioning of the brain, the contribution ofother cell types in the brain have to be accounted for. Among glial cells, astrocytes have multiple rolesin orchestrating neuronal functions. Their communication with neurons by exchanging signalingmolecules and removing molecules from extracellular space takes place at several levels and isgoverned by different cellular processes, supported by multiple cellular structures, including thecytoskeleton. Intermediate filaments in astrocytes are emerging as important integrators of cellularprocesses. Astrocytes express five types of intermediate filaments: glial fibrillary acidic protein (GFAP);vimentin; nestin; synemin; lamins. Variability, interactions with different cellular structures and theparticular roles of individual intermediate filaments in astrocytes have been studied extensively inthe case of GFAP and vimentin, but far less attention has been given to nestin, synemin and lamins.Similarly, the interplay between different types of cytoskeleton and the interaction between thecytoskeleton and membranous structures, which is mediated by cytolinker proteins, are understudiedin astrocytes. The present review summarizes the basic properties of astrocytic intermediate filamentsand of other cytoskeletal macromolecules, such as cytolinker proteins, and describes the currentknowledge of their roles in normal physiological and pathological conditions. | |
| Keywords | astrocytes intermediate filaments vimentin astrociti vmesni filamenti vimentin |