Three-dimensional Ca 2+ imaging advances understanding of astrocyte biology

Glial calcium dynamics in space and time Astrocytes use calcium signals to process information received from neighboring brain cells and thus generate modulatory responses at the local or network level. Previous studies have relied on calcium imaging in line scans or in a single focal plane mostly focusing on the cell bodies of astrocytes. Bindocci et al. used more powerful scanners that can rapidly scan many focal planes. They combined this technique with advanced genetic tools for monitoring calcium gradients with high sensitivity, which allowed three-dimensional calcium imaging of a whole astrocyte. Most of the basal calcium activity occurred in the astrocyte processes, some in the endfeet, and only a small fraction actually in the cell bodies of astrocytes. Science , this issue p. eaai8185