Main description:

This detailed volume gathers together a broad variety of methods essential to the investigation of the biology of astrocytes and their multifaceted roles in both healthy and diseased brains. Beginning with some overviews of the subject, the book continues by covering techniques for the isolation of astrocytes from animal models, the investigation of astrocyte morphology and function, as well as for understanding astrocyte pathologies in the central nervous system. Written for the highly successful Methods in Molecular Biology series, chapters include introductions to their respective topics, lists of the necessary materials and reagents, step-by-step, readily reproducible laboratory protocols, and tips on troubleshooting and avoiding known pitfalls.
Authoritative and practical, Astrocytes: Methods and Protocols serves as an ideal guide for both experienced and beginner scientists working toward unraveling the novel, fascinating roles of these versatile cells.

Contents:

Part I: Astrocyte Biology: Overviews and Perspectives

1. The Astrocyte-Neuron Interface: An Overview on Molecular and Cellular Dynamics Controlling Formation and Maintenance of the Tripartite Synapse

Uzma Hasan and Sandeep K. Singh

2. Role of Astrocytes in the Neurogenic Niches

Julia Schneider, Julian Karpf, and Ruth Beckervordersandforth

Part II: Isolation of Astrocytes from Animal Models

3. Isolation and Culture of Astrocytes from Postnatal and Adult Mouse Brains

Yingbo He, Natalie Taylor, and Anindya Bhattacharya

4. Fluorescence-Activated Cell Sorting-Based Isolation and Characterization of Neural Stem Cells from the Adult Zebrafish Telencephalon

Rossella Di Giaimo, Sven Aschenbroich, and Jovica Ninkovic

Part III: Astrocyte Morphology and Functions: Emerging Methods for Their Characterizations In Vivo, In Situ, and In Vitro

5. A Method to Visualize the Nanoscopic Morphology of Astrocytes In Vitro and In Situ

Janosch P. Heller and Dmitri A. Rusakov

6. A Specialized Method to Resolve Fine 3D Features of Astrocytes in Non-Human Primate (Marmoset, Callithrix Jacchus) and Human Fixed Brain Samples

Gael Quesseveur, Aymeric Fouquier d'Herouel, Keith K. Murai, and David S. Bouvier

7. Cisterna Magna Injection in Rats to Study Glymphatic Function

Marta Ramos, Nicholas Burdon Bechet, Roberta Battistella, Chiara Pavan, Anna L.R. Xavier, Maiken Nedergaard, and Iben Lundgaard

8. Preparing the Astrocyte Perivascular Endfeet Transcriptome to Investigate Astrocyte Molecular Regulations at the Brain Vascular Interface

Anne-Cecile Boulay, Noemie Mazare, Bruno Saubamea, and Martine Cohen-Salmon

9. Monitoring Interneuron-Astrocyte Signaling and Its Consequences on Synaptic Transmission

Sara Mederos and Gertrudis Perea

10. Astrocytes and Circadian Rhythms: An Emerging Astrocyte-Neuron Synergy in the Timekeeping System

Olga Barca Mayo, Luca Berdondini, and Davide De Pietri Tonelli

11. In Vitro Engulfment Assay to Measure Phagocytic Activity of Astrocytes Using Synaptosomes

Youkyeong Gloria Byun and Won-Suk Chung

12. Quantifying Compartment-Specific Protein Translocation in Astrocytes by Object-Oriented Image Analysis: Mitochondrial Translocation of PKC

Kiavasch M.N. Farid and Amin Derouiche

13. Imaging of Local and Global Sodium Signals in Astrocytes

Niklas J. Gerkau, Karl W. Kafitz, and Christine R. Rose

14. Detection of Protein Uptake in In Vitro Cultured Astrocytes Exemplified by the Uptake of the Serine Protease, Tissue Plasminogen Activator

Ewa E. Bres and Andreas Faissner

15. Native Chromatin Immunoprecipitation (N-ChIP) in Primary Cortical Rat Astrocytes

Victoria Adelheid Malik, Barbara Di Benedetto, and Mira Jakovcevski

Part IV: Astrocyte Pathologies in the Central Nervous System: Emerging Methods for Their Characterizations In Vivo, In Situ, and In Vitro

16. Imaging and Manipulating Astrocyte Function In Vivo in the Context of CNS Injury

Oleksii Shandra and Stefanie Robel

17. Glial Pathology in Major Depressive Disorder: An Approach to Investigate the Coverage of Blood Vessels by Astrocyte Endfeet in Human Postmortem Brain

Grazyna Rajkowska and Jose Javier Miguel-Hidalgo

18. Examining the Coverage of Blood Vessels by Astrocyte Endfeet in an Animal Model of Major Depressive Disorder

Heike Hallof-Bustrich and Barbara Di Benedetto

19. A Method to Investigate Astrocyte and Microglial Morphological Changes in the Aging Brain of the Rhesus Macaque

Kevin B. Chiu, Kim M. Lee, Katelyn N. Robillard, and Andrew G. MacLean

20. Investigating Age-Related Changes in Proliferation and the Cell Division Repertoire of Parenchymal Reactive Astrocytes

Gabor Heimann and Swetlana Sirko