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. Author manuscript; available in PMC: 2014 Aug 7.
Published in final edited form as: Neuron. 2008 Apr 24;58(2):168–178. doi: 10.1016/j.neuron.2008.04.002

Figure 1. Integrated Control of Synaptic Release Probability by Astrocytes in Dentate Molecular Layer.

Figure 1

Immunoelectron microscopy suggests the existence of NR2B-containing NMDA receptors on perforant path terminals opposing astrocytic membranes that contain vesicles close to the astrocytic plasma membrane (Jourdain et al., 2007). Cell-derived ATP and glutamate act on two astrocytic Gq-coupled GPCRs, mGluR5 and P2Y1R, to increase [Ca2+]i and promote astrocytic release of glutamate into the extrasynaptic space. The resulting activation of presynaptic NMDA receptors appears to contribute to frequency facilitation at perforant path synapses.