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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.

Astrocytes: Methods and Protocols

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

            Gaël Quesseveur, Aymeric Fouquier d'Hérouël, 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-Cécile Boulay, Noémie Mazaré, Bruno Saubaméa, 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 PKCd

            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-Büstrich 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