# Subcellular calcium signaling in ferret visual cortical astrocytes

> **NIH NIH R01** · FLORIDA INTERNATIONAL UNIVERSITY · 2020 · $366,250

## Abstract

Project Summary
Astrocytes are major constituents of neural circuits, comprising nearly one third of cells in gray matter. They
interact with neural circuit elements both physically and functionally via bidirectional signaling with neurons.
Astrocytes respond to neural activity in large part by increasing intracellular calcium on multiple spatial and
temporal scales, via a variety of mechanisms. These calcium signals are a necessary component of the signaling
pathway for many forms of astrocyte signaling back to neurons. Thus, an understanding of the functional role of
astrocytes in neural circuit function requires a quantitative elucidation of the spatial and temporal neural activity
patterns that elicit calcium signaling in astrocytes, and the integration of subcellular calcium signals within
individual astrocytes. We propose to define these relationships by making use of the precise neural circuit
organization in ferret visual cortex. Ferret visual cortex is functionally organized into precise orientation columns,
such that different orientations of visual stimulation produce spatially distinct activity patterns in neural circuits,
which enables precise experimental control of the spatial patterns of neural activity. We will specifically address
1) the subcellular compartmentalization of astrocyte responses to different stimulus orientations, 2) the
subcellular organization of responses under precise control of stimulus amplitude and duration and 3) the impact
of the different neural activity patterns underlying different brain states on astrocyte calcium responses. Together
these studies will provide unprecedented quantitative insight into 1) the spatial patterns of neural activity that are
required to activate astrocyte calcium signaling, 2) the temporal integration of the magnitude of neural activity
that are necessary to activate astrocyte calcium signaling and 3) the brain states that promote astrocyte
responses to neural activity. Quantitative definitions of these rules will provide an important baseline against
which to compare and test the role of astrocytes in the brain dysfunction of pathological states related to diseases
of mental health.

## Key facts

- **NIH application ID:** 10015272
- **Project number:** 5R01EY026977-05
- **Recipient organization:** FLORIDA INTERNATIONAL UNIVERSITY
- **Principal Investigator:** James Schummers
- **Activity code:** R01 (R01, R21, SBIR, etc.)
- **Funding institute:** NIH
- **Fiscal year:** 2020
- **Award amount:** $366,250
- **Award type:** 5
- **Project period:** 2016-08-01 → 2023-05-11

## Primary source

NIH RePORTER: https://reporter.nih.gov/project-details/10015272

## Citation

> US National Institutes of Health, RePORTER application 10015272, Subcellular calcium signaling in ferret visual cortical astrocytes (5R01EY026977-05). Retrieved via AI Analytics 2026-05-26 from https://api.ai-analytics.org/grant/nih/10015272. Licensed CC0.

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