Astroglia can encode their activity by the generation of Ca²⁺ signals, which then trigger or modify various functions of the cell. The signalling pathways that generate Ca²⁺ signals have been explored in detail. However, what controls their amplitude and waveform remains poorly understood. Using an array of optical methods in vitro and in vivo, we, i.e., Claire King, Kirsten Bohmbach and further colleagues have explored how the resting Ca²⁺ concentration controls these signals. We consistently find that peak and amplitude of Ca²⁺ signals display an opposite dependence on the resting Ca²⁺: a previously unrecognized basic rule underlying Ca²⁺ signalling in astroglial. The study has been published in Cell Report.

King CM, Bohmbach K, Minge D, Delekate A, Zheng K, Reynolds J, Rakers C, Zeug A, Petzold GC, Rusakov DA, Henneberger C (2020) Local Resting Ca²⁺ Controls the Scale of Astroglial Ca²⁺ Signals. Cell Rep. 30(10):3466-3477 (link, open access)

For a more in-depth discussion of astrocytic Ca²⁺ signalling please see our recent review.

Semyanov A, Henneberger C, Agarwal A (2020) Making sense of astrocytic calcium signals — from acquisition to interpretation. Nat. Rev. Neurosci. 21(10):551–564. (link)