Molecular Motors in Blood–Brain Barrier Maintenance by Astrocytes
The blood–brain barrier (BBB) comprises distinct cell types, including endothelial cells, pericytes, and astrocytes, and is essential for central nervous system (CNS) homeostasis by selectively regulating molecular transport and maintaining integrity. In particular, astrocytes are essential for BBB...
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2025-03-01
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| author | Ana Filipa Sobral Inês Costa Vanessa Teixeira Renata Silva Daniel José Barbosa |
| author_facet | Ana Filipa Sobral Inês Costa Vanessa Teixeira Renata Silva Daniel José Barbosa |
| author_sort | Ana Filipa Sobral |
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| description | The blood–brain barrier (BBB) comprises distinct cell types, including endothelial cells, pericytes, and astrocytes, and is essential for central nervous system (CNS) homeostasis by selectively regulating molecular transport and maintaining integrity. In particular, astrocytes are essential for BBB function, as they maintain BBB integrity through their end-feet, which form a physical and biochemical interface that enhances endothelial cell function and barrier selectivity. Moreover, they secrete growth factors like vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) and transforming growth factor-beta (TGF-β), which regulate tight junction (TJ) proteins (e.g., claudins and occludins) crucial for limiting paracellular permeability. Molecular motors like kinesins, dynein, and myosins are essential for these astrocyte functions. By facilitating vesicular trafficking and protein transport, they are essential for various functions, including trafficking of junctional proteins to support BBB integrity, the proper mitochondria localization within astrocyte processes for efficient energy supply, the polarized distribution of aquaporin (AQP)-4 at astrocyte end-feet for regulating water homeostasis across the BBB, and the modulation of neuroinflammatory responses. Moreover, myosin motors modulate actomyosin dynamics to regulate astrocyte process outgrowth, adhesion, migration, and morphology, facilitating their functional roles. Thus, motor protein dysregulation in astrocytes can compromise BBB function and integrity, increasing the risk of neurodegeneration. This review explores the complex interplay between astrocytes and molecular motors in regulating BBB homeostasis, which represents an attractive but poorly explored area of research. |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj-art-b9480ca00a8d4400a3e05c5ed5a2b103 |
| institution | DOAJ |
| issn | 2076-3425 |
| language | English |
| publishDate | 2025-03-01 |
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| spelling | doaj-art-b9480ca00a8d4400a3e05c5ed5a2b1032025-08-20T02:42:42ZengMDPI AGBrain Sciences2076-34252025-03-0115327910.3390/brainsci15030279Molecular Motors in Blood–Brain Barrier Maintenance by AstrocytesAna Filipa Sobral0Inês Costa1Vanessa Teixeira2Renata Silva3Daniel José Barbosa4Associate Laboratory i4HB—Institute for Health and Bioeconomy, University Institute of Health Sciences—CESPU, 4585-116 Gandra, PortugalAssociate Laboratory i4HB—Institute for Health and Bioeconomy, Faculty of Pharmacy, University of Porto, 4050-313 Porto, Portugali3S—Instituto de Investigação e Inovação em Saúde, Universidade do Porto, 4200-135 Porto, PortugalAssociate Laboratory i4HB—Institute for Health and Bioeconomy, Faculty of Pharmacy, University of Porto, 4050-313 Porto, PortugalAssociate Laboratory i4HB—Institute for Health and Bioeconomy, University Institute of Health Sciences—CESPU, 4585-116 Gandra, PortugalThe blood–brain barrier (BBB) comprises distinct cell types, including endothelial cells, pericytes, and astrocytes, and is essential for central nervous system (CNS) homeostasis by selectively regulating molecular transport and maintaining integrity. In particular, astrocytes are essential for BBB function, as they maintain BBB integrity through their end-feet, which form a physical and biochemical interface that enhances endothelial cell function and barrier selectivity. Moreover, they secrete growth factors like vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) and transforming growth factor-beta (TGF-β), which regulate tight junction (TJ) proteins (e.g., claudins and occludins) crucial for limiting paracellular permeability. Molecular motors like kinesins, dynein, and myosins are essential for these astrocyte functions. By facilitating vesicular trafficking and protein transport, they are essential for various functions, including trafficking of junctional proteins to support BBB integrity, the proper mitochondria localization within astrocyte processes for efficient energy supply, the polarized distribution of aquaporin (AQP)-4 at astrocyte end-feet for regulating water homeostasis across the BBB, and the modulation of neuroinflammatory responses. Moreover, myosin motors modulate actomyosin dynamics to regulate astrocyte process outgrowth, adhesion, migration, and morphology, facilitating their functional roles. Thus, motor protein dysregulation in astrocytes can compromise BBB function and integrity, increasing the risk of neurodegeneration. This review explores the complex interplay between astrocytes and molecular motors in regulating BBB homeostasis, which represents an attractive but poorly explored area of research.https://www.mdpi.com/2076-3425/15/3/279molecular motorskinesinsdyneinmyosinsintracellular transportjunctional components |
| spellingShingle | Ana Filipa Sobral Inês Costa Vanessa Teixeira Renata Silva Daniel José Barbosa Molecular Motors in Blood–Brain Barrier Maintenance by Astrocytes Brain Sciences molecular motors kinesins dynein myosins intracellular transport junctional components |
| title | Molecular Motors in Blood–Brain Barrier Maintenance by Astrocytes |
| title_full | Molecular Motors in Blood–Brain Barrier Maintenance by Astrocytes |
| title_fullStr | Molecular Motors in Blood–Brain Barrier Maintenance by Astrocytes |
| title_full_unstemmed | Molecular Motors in Blood–Brain Barrier Maintenance by Astrocytes |
| title_short | Molecular Motors in Blood–Brain Barrier Maintenance by Astrocytes |
| title_sort | molecular motors in blood brain barrier maintenance by astrocytes |
| topic | molecular motors kinesins dynein myosins intracellular transport junctional components |
| url | https://www.mdpi.com/2076-3425/15/3/279 |
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