Scientists at King Abdullah University of Science and Technology (KAUST) have uncovered the role astrocytes, a type of non-neuronal cells called glia, play in communication between neurons and processes linked to learning and memory. 

While astrocytes have long been known to provide energy to neurons, whether they also shape signaling between neurons has remained unclear — until now. 

Published in The Journal of Physiology, a new KAUST study shows that the same molecule involved in muscle metabolism, lactate, acts not only as a source of energy but also triggers a signaling pathway in neurons. 

The findings challenge the traditional view of astrocytes as passive support cells by showing they play an active role in regulating communication between neurons. They provide new insight into the molecular mechanisms that support communication between brain cells and highlight the active role of astrocytes in shaping synaptic plasticity, said Professor Pierre Magistretti, principal investigator of the KAUST Laboratory of Cellular Imaging and Energetics. 

“This observation represents a paradigm shift,” he said. “It shows that glial metabolism is an integral part of information processing by neurons, with implications for learning and memory.” 

Magistretti, who is also Ibn Sina Distinguished Professor of Bioscience and vice president of research at KAUST, added that his team demonstrates how the process works when lactate enters neurons and triggers a cascade of molecular events that enables key protein interactions at synapses — the sites where neurons connect and exchange information. 

While neuroscientists already knew lactate fueled neurons through a process described by Magistretti several years ago and known as the astrocyte-neuron lactate shuttle, this study shows it also directly influences how neurons signal to one another at synapses. This matters because disruption of synaptic communication is involved in conditions such as memory loss and several neurological disorders. 

Conducted largely at KAUST, the study involved international collaboration with the University of Milan in Italy and Lausanne University Hospital in Switzerland. This research brought together complementary expertise in cellular imaging, electrophysiology, molecular biology, and synaptic physiology. 

The study has clear relevance for the neuroscience community in Saudi Arabia and globally, Magistretti noted. It addresses fundamental questions about how brain energy metabolism shapes neuronal communication and memory formation. 

Given the role of synaptic communication in learning, memory, and several neurological and psychiatric disorders, these findings open new avenues for therapeutic strategies targeting these processes, he added. “The work highlights KAUST’s role in advancing research that connects fundamental brain science to real-world health challenges.”