Within the past decade, there has been increasing recognition that glia are far more than simply "housekeepers" for neurons. This review explores two recently recognized roles of glia (microglia and astrocytes) in: (a) creating and maintaining enhanced pain states such as neuropathic pain, and (b) compromising the efficacy of morphine and other opioids for pain control. While glia have little-t...

Within the past decade, there has been increasing recognition that glia are far more than simply “housekeepers” for neurons. This review explores two recently recognized roles of glia (microglia and astrocytes) in: (a) creating and maintaining enhanced pain states such as neuropathic pain, and (b) compromising the eYcacy of morphine and other opioids for pain control. While glia have little-to-...

Radial glia are a polarized cell type that in most neural regions appear only transiently during development. They have long been recognized as glia or glial progenitors that support neuronal migration. Recent evidence indicates that radial glia also give rise to neurons and appear to be a major population of dividing precursor cells in the embryonic cortical ventricular zone. Radial glia exten...

Bergmann glial cells play critical roles in the structure and function of the cerebellum. During development, their radial processes serve as guides for migrating granule neurons and their terminal endfeet tile to form the glia limitans. As the cerebellum matures, Bergmann glia perform important roles in synaptic transmission and synapse maintenance, while continuing to serve as essential struc...

Glia serve many important functions in the mature nervous system. In addition, these diverse cells have emerged as essential participants in nearly all aspects of neural development. Improved techniques to study neurons in the absence of glia, and to visualize and manipulate glia in vivo, have greatly expanded our knowledge of glial biology and neuron-glia interactions during development. Excit...

Hippocampal neurons exhibit three voltage-gated potassium currents, two transient currents and a delayed rectifier, that influence numerous aspects of electrogenesis including action potential duration and accommodation to sustained depolarization. These currents, termed A-, D-, and K-currents, respectively, can be distinguished based on kinetics, steady state inactivation characteristics, and ...

The study of adult neural cell production has concentrated on neurogenesis. The mechanisms controlling adult gliogenesis are still poorly understood. Here, we provide evidence for a homeostatic process that maintains the population of glial cells in the Drosophila adult brain. Flies lacking microRNA miR-31a start adult life with a normal complement of glia, but transiently lose glia due to apop...