L F Barros, I Ruminot, T Sotelo-Hitschfeld, R Lerchundi, I Fernández-Moncada
Information processing imposes urgent metabolic demands on neurons, which have negligible energy stores and restricted access to fuel. Here, we discuss metabolic recruitment, the tissue-level phenomenon whereby active neurons harvest resources from their surroundings. The primary event is the neuronal release of K+ that mirrors workload. Astrocytes sense K+ in exquisite fashion thanks to their unique coexpression of NBCe1 and α2β2 Na+ /K+ ATPase, and within seconds switch to Crabtree metabolism, involving GLUT1, aerobic glycolysis, transient suppression of mitochondrial respiration, and lactate export...
February 10, 2023: Annual Review of Physiology