When Size Matters: How Astrocytic Processes Shape Metabolism.

The hypothalamic control of metabolism appears to be a puzzle that cannot be explained by neuronal function alone. Zhang and colleagues (2017) add a few new pieces by demonstrating that astrocytes critically modulate neural circuits controlling energy homeostasis through nutritional-status-dependent morphological plasticity and IKKβ/NF-κB signaling, which modulate extracellular neurotransmitter bioavailability.