ABSTRACT
It is commonly accepted that neurons, glia and brain capillaries are organized into well-structured neuro-glio-vascular units, in which individual astroglial cells support the function of specifi c neuronal populations and territories, and communicate with associated segments of the microvasculature (Iadecola and Nedergaard 2007, Barres 2008, Halassa and Haydon 2010, Prevot et al. 2010b). These micro-functional domains are likely to play an important role in maintaining a precisely regulated microenvironment for reliable neuronal signaling in an ever-changing physiological context. Gaining new insights into how cellular events that involve neurons, astroglia and vascular cells are orchestrated is therefore fundamental to an improved understanding of brain function.
