美国贝勒医学院Benjamin Deneen等合作发现，学习相关星形胶质细胞群调节记忆回忆。2024年11月6日，国际知名学术期刊《自然》发表了这一成果。

据悉，记忆形成和回忆的物理表现是尚未解决的基本问题。在细胞层面上，被称为记忆痕迹（engrams）的神经元群体会在学习事件中被激活，并控制记忆的回忆过程。研究发现，星形胶质细胞与神经元紧密相邻，参与支持神经传递和神经回路可塑性的多种活动。此外，星形胶质细胞表现出依赖于经验的可塑性，但特定的星形胶质细胞群体是否参与记忆回忆仍不清楚。

研究小组发现学习事件诱导海马星形胶质细胞群体中的c-Fos表达，并随后调节小鼠海马回路的功能。学习事件后星形胶质细胞群与c-Fos的交叉标记表明它们与印迹神经元密切相关，这些星形胶质细胞群的重新激活刺激记忆回忆。

在分子水平上，学习相关星形胶质细胞（LAA）群表现出核因子I-A的表达升高，其在该群体中的选择性删除抑制了记忆回忆。综上所述，他们的数据确定了LAA群体是一种可塑性的形式，足以激发记忆的回忆，并表明星形胶质细胞是记忆痕迹的活跃成分。

附：英文原文

Title: Learning-associated astrocyte ensembles regulate memory recall

Author: Williamson, Michael R., Kwon, Wookbong, Woo, Junsung, Ko, Yeunjung, Maleki, Ehson, Yu, Kwanha, Murali, Sanjana, Sardar, Debosmita, Deneen, Benjamin

Issue&Volume: 2024-11-06

Abstract: The physical manifestations of memory formation and recall are fundamental questions that remain unresolved1. At the cellular level, ensembles of neurons called engrams are activated by learning events and control memory recall1,2,3,4,5. Astrocytes are found in close proximity to neurons and engage in a range of activities that support neurotransmission and circuit plasticity6,7,8,9,10. Moreover, astrocytes exhibit experience-dependent plasticity11,12,13, although whether specific ensembles of astrocytes participate in memory recall remains obscure. Here we show that learning events induce c-Fos expression in a subset of hippocampal astrocytes, and that this subsequently regulates the function of the hippocampal circuit in mice. Intersectional labelling of astrocyte ensembles with c-Fos after learning events shows that they are closely affiliated with engram neurons, and reactivation of these astrocyte ensembles stimulates memory recall. At the molecular level, learning-associated astrocyte (LAA) ensembles exhibit elevated expression of nuclear factor I-A, and its selective deletion from this population suppresses memory recall. Taken together, our data identify LAA ensembles as a form of plasticity that is sufficient to provoke memory recall and indicate that astrocytes are an active component of the engram.

DOI: 10.1038/s41586-024-08170-w

Source: https://www.nature.com/articles/s41586-024-08170-w