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The ultrastructure of lamellar stack astrocytes
Author(s) -
Holen Torgeir
Publication year - 2011
Publication title -
glia
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 2.954
H-Index - 164
eISSN - 1098-1136
pISSN - 0894-1491
DOI - 10.1002/glia.21180
Subject(s) - biology , neuropil , ultrastructure , lamellar structure , astrocyte , immunogold labelling , anatomy , lamellar granule , biophysics , neuroscience , materials science , central nervous system , composite material
Astrocytes support neurons and map out nonoverlapping domains in grey matter of the brain. The astrocytes of the glia limitans, however, do overlap. Using ultrastructural tools and immunogold histochemistry a subtype of astrocyte able to assemble large lamellar stacks was investigated at the ventral surface of the brain near the hypothalamus. Lamellar stacks were subsequently discovered also in the internal glia limitans of the epithalamus. Circular lamellar stacks containing AQP4 water channels surround neuronal processes, and might serve as osmosensors. The lamellar stacks are well‐organized and can form over 100 membrane layers between neuropil and the basal membrane, but a barrier function is not obvious from the noncontinuous character of the stacks along the glia limitans. © 2011 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.