https://doi.org/10.1140/epjp/s13360-021-01708-1
Regular Article
Connectivity promotes repeatable activation patterns in the model of astrocytic networks
1
Department of Theoretical Physics, Kursk State University, Radishcheva St., 33, 305000, Kursk, Russia
2
Saratov State National Research University, Astrakhanskaya St. 83, Saratov, Russia
3
Biological Faculty, Lomonosov Moscow State University, Leninskie Gory, 1/24, Moscow, Russia
4
Department of Molecular Neurobiology, Institute of Bioorganic Chemistry RAS, Miklukho-Maklay Str, 16/10, Moscow, Russia
Received:
31
December
2020
Accepted:
30
June
2021
Published online:
8
July
2021
Diverse calcium signaling is upstream of the many regulatory actions astrocytes exert in the brain tissue. Initiation, spreading and possible amplification of astrocytic calcium transients is tightly linked to cell morphology, which in turn is sensitive to extracellular volume and milieu. Large-scale collective activity of astrocytes involves intercellular calcium waves and should depend on the properties of cell-to-cell coupling within the astrocyte syncytium. We employ a 2D model of synthetic astrocyte syncytium with a varying density of intercellular contacts to study the effect of varying astrocyte connectivity on network calcium activity. Our results suggest that subcellular baseline calcium profiles and repeated patterns of calcium wave initiation and propagation across the network are the most sensitive to variations in astrocyte connectivity, while there are also mild effects on overall level of activity. Gap-junction astrocyte connectivity is a major factor in the efficacy of extracellular potassium clearance, here we also propose an orchestrating effect of connectivity on patterns of astrocytic Ca
signaling, implicating downstream repercussions in local synaptic plasticity and neuro-vascular coupling.
© The Author(s), under exclusive licence to Società Italiana di Fisica and Springer-Verlag GmbH Germany, part of Springer Nature 2021
