Studying the Role of Astrocytes at Synapses Using Single-Cell Transcriptomics

The central nervous system (CNS) contains a diverse number of neuronal and non-neuronal cell types that physically interact with one another. It is these physical interactions which underlie many essential functions. For example, neurons communicate with each other at specialized structures called synapses. At a synapse, information is conveyed by the release of neurotransmitters from a presynaptic neuron, which diffuse across the synaptic cleft and bind receptors on the postsynaptic neuron, eliciting a response. Although most studies place the neuron at the center of the synapse, other cell types have recently been shown to play crucial roles at this structure. Astrocytes are the major non-neuronal cell type in the mammalian brain and play key roles in synapse formation, maintenance of synapse homeostasis, modulation of synaptic transmission, and provision of trophic support to neurons. In this chapter, we aim to describe methods used for in-depth analysis of the transcriptomic landscape of astrocytes at the single-cell level, to better understand the interaction(s) between astrocytes and neurons at synapses.