6月28日，Science杂志在线报道星形胶质细胞定位在神经突触产生和损伤修复中的重要功能。
星形胶质细胞，在中枢神经系统（CNS）最丰富的细胞群，是正常的神经功能所必需的。本研究表明，从胚胎发育的角度来看，星形胶质细胞按照它们在脑室区中的胚胎起源位点被分配到小鼠脊髓和大脑区域。这些区域保持稳定，在小鼠整个生命过程中都没有发生二次切线迁移的证据，甚至在急性中枢神经系统损伤后也保持稳定。
在腹侧脊髓中区域特异性去除星形胶质细胞，导致异常的运动神经元突触发生。这不能由来自毗邻地区的星形胶质细胞迁移所补救。
该研究结果表明，区域限制的星形胶质细胞的分配是中枢神经系统的一种普遍现象，同时揭示了星形胶质细胞损伤反应的内在限制。（生物谷bioon.com）
doi:10.1016/j.cell.2011.10.017
PMC:
PMID:
Regional Astrocyte Allocation Regulates CNS Synaptogenesis and Repair
Hui-Hsin Tsai1,2,5, Huiliang Li6,*, Luis C. Fuentealba4,5,*, Anna V. Molofsky1,3,5,*, Raquel Taveira-Marques6,*, Helin Zhuang6, April Tenney1,2, Alice T. Murnen1,2,5, Stephen P. J. Fancy1,2,5, Florian Merkle4,?, Nicoletta Kessaris6, Arturo Alvarez-Buylla4,5,?, William D. Richardson6,?, David H. Rowitch1,2,4,5,?
Astrocytes, the most abundant cell population in the central nervous system (CNS), are essential for normal neurological function. We show that astrocytes are allocated to spatial domains in murine spinal cord and brain in accordance with their embryonic sites of origin in the ventricular zone. These domains remain stable throughout life without evidence of secondary tangential migration, even after acute CNS injury. Domain-specific depletion of astrocytes in ventral spinal cord resulted in abnormal motor neuron synaptogenesis, which was not rescued by immigration of astrocytes from adjoining regions. Our findings demonstrate that region-restricted astrocyte allocation is a general CNS phenomenon and reveal intrinsic limitations of the astroglial response to injury.
