Motor-Skill Learning Is Dependent on Astrocytic Activity

Figure 3

Fluorocitrate blocks astrocytic Ca²⁺ transients and LTP in slices. (a) Dual loading of acute M1 slices with SR101 (left) and fluo-4 AM (right) in control and after perfusion of FC. ROIs of astrocyte soma are outlined and numbered. Time-lapse images of the fluo-4 channel for control and after FC conditions. Scale bar: 10 μm. (a′) Spontaneous Ca²⁺ transients in soma in control and FC conditions. Scale bar: 75 s, 100% . (b) The percent of active soma, the number of Ca²⁺ transients, and the peak value of the Ca²⁺ transients significantly decreases after treatment with FC. (c) Average time course of the change in FPs in M1 slices after TBS (indicated by arrow) shown for control and FC conditions. Incubation of slices with FC blocks LTP. Representative FPs (average of 5 traces) during baseline condition and 20–30 min after TBS are shown as black and gray traces. Scale bar: 0.4 mV, 4 ms. (d) Average time course of the change in FPs shown for FC coapplied with D-serine, FC coapplied with D-serine and D-AP5. D-Serine partially rescues LTP. (e) Summary of LTP experiments with FPs measured 20–30 min after TBS relative to baseline. and .