Extracellular GABA assisting in organizing dynamic cell assemblies to shorten reaction time to sensory stimulation.

Extracellular GABA assisting in organizing dynamic cell assemblies to shorten reaction time to sensory stimulation.
Biol Cybern. 2019 Feb 12;:
Authors: Sakamoto R, Kameno R, Kobayashi T, Ishiyama A, Watanabe K, Hoshino O
Abstract
Until recently, glia, which exceeds the number of neurons, was considered to only have supportive roles in the central nervous system, providing homeostatic controls and metabolic supports. However, recent studies suggest that glia interacts with neurons and plays active roles in information processing within neuronal circuits. To elucidate how glia contributes to neuronal information processing, we simulated a sensory neuron-glia (neuron-astrocyte) network model. It was investigated in association with ambient (extracellular) GABA level, because the astrocyte has a major role in removing extracellular GABA molecules. In the network model, transporters, embedded in plasma membranes of astrocytes, modulated local ambient GABA levels by actively removing extracellular GABA molecules which persistently acted on receptors in membranes outside synapses and provided pyramidal cells with inhibitory currents. Gap-junction coupling between astrocytes mediated a concordant decrease in local ambient GABA levels, which solicited a prompt population response of pyramidal cells (i.e., activation of an ensemble of pyramidal cells) to a sensory stimulus. As a consequence, the reaction time of a motor network, to which axons...

Source: Biological Cybernetics - February 12, 2019 Category: Science Authors: Sakamoto R, Kameno R, Kobayashi T, Ishiyama A, Watanabe K, Hoshino O Tags: Biol Cybern Source Type: research