PurinergicSignallinginNeuron-GliaInteractions

ATP,theintracellularenergysource,isalsoanextremelyimportantcell–cellsignallingmoleculeforawidevarietyofcellsacrossevolutionarilydiverseorganisms.TheextracellularbiochemistryofATPanditsderivativesiscomplex,andthemultiplemembranereceptorsthatitactivatesarelinkedtomanyintracellularsignallingsystems.Purinergicsignallingaffectsadiverserangeofcellularphenomena,includingionchannelfunction,cytoskeletaldynamics,geneexpression,secretion,cellproliferation,differentiationandcelldeath.Recently,thisclassofsignallingmoleculesandreceptorshasbeenfoundtomediatecommunicationbetweenneuronsandnon-neuronalcells(glia)inthecentralandperipheralnervoussystems.Gliaarecriticalfornormalbrainfunction,developmentandresponsetoinjury.Neuralimpulseactivityisdetectedbygliaandpurinergicsignallingisemergingasamajormeansofintegratingfunctionalactivitybetweenneurons,gliaandvascularcellsinthenervoussystem.Theseinteractionsmediateeffectsofneuralactivityonthedevelopmentofthenervoussystemandinassociationwithinjury,neurodegeneration,myelinationandcancer.Bringingtogethercontributionsfromexpertsindiversefields,includingglialbiologists,neurobiologistsandspecialistsinpurinergicreceptorstructureandpharmacology,thisbookconsidershowextracellularATPactstointegratecommunicationbetweendifferenttypesofglia,andbetweenneuronsandglia.Beginningwithanoverviewofgliaandpurinergicsignalling,itcontainsdetailedcoverageofpurinerelease,receptorsandreagents,purinergicsignallingintheneuralcontrolofglialdevelopment,glialinvolvementininformationprocessing,anddiscussionoftheinteractionsbetweenneuronsandmicroglia.