Major depressive disorder affects hundreds of millions worldwide, but a key to understanding its origins may lie in the brain ...

Indeed, a few morphology-related genes, including FERMT2 and Slc1a2, appeared to be linked to AD, amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, and multiple sclerosis. All told, the authors concluded that loss of ...

They analyzed several brain regions, looking for alterations in astrocyte morphology, physiology and gene expression signatures. “We found that NFIA-deficient astrocytes presented defective shapes and ...

"It is known that astrocytes are a heterogeneous cell type in their molecular and gene expression signatures, morphology and origin," Marta Navarrete, senior author of the paper, told Medical Xpress.

Adult astrocytes are key to learning and memory Date: April 23, 2020 Source: Baylor College of Medicine Summary: Researchers have discovered that astrocytes, the most abundant cells in the brain ...

"Astrocytes and microglia not only changed their morphology, we also found alterations in specific markers that are characteristic to disease-associated microglia," says Hösli.

“Astrocytes are really bushy,” Williamson says. They have a complex morphology with lots and lots of micro or nanoscale processes that infiltrate the area surrounding them.

Notably, changes in astrocyte morphology and function were associated with poor synaptic connectivity, contributing to the development of depressive symptoms. Furthermore, ...

The over-activation of astrocytes and microglia, which can be described as neuroinflammation, changes the morphology of motor neurons and impairs their interconnectivity.

Serotonin triggers changes in astrocyte gene expression patterns, turning astrocytes into a hub of olfactory sensation processing,” Sardar said. “This project has uncovered novel aspects of astrocyte ...