Cerebellar Bergmann glia: an important model to study neuron–glia interactions

Abstract

The biochemical effects triggered by the action of glutamate, the main excitatory amino acid, on a specialized type of glia cells, Bergmann glial cells of the cerebellum, are a model system with which to study glia–neuronal interactions. Neuron to Bergmann glia signaling is involved in early stages of development, mainly in cell migration and synaptogenesis. Later, in adulthood, these cells have an important role in the maintenance and proper function of the synapses that they surround. Major molecular targets of this cellular interplay are glial glutamate receptors and transporters, both of which sense synaptic activity. Glutamate receptors trigger a complex network of signaling cascades that involve Ca²⁺ influx and lead to a differential gene-expression pattern. In contrast, Bergmann glia glutamate transporters participate in the removal of the neurotransmitter from the synaptic cleft and act also as signal transducers that regulate, in the short term, their own activity. These exciting findings strengthen the concept of active participation of glial cells in synaptic transmission and the involvement of neuron–glia circuits in the processing of brain information.