An Astroglial Basis of Major Depressive Disorder: Molecular, Cellular, and Circuit Features

Major depressive disorder (MDD) is a common psychiatric disorder and has been a leading cause of disability worldwide. Astrocytes play a role in the maintenance of the function of the central nervous system (CNS), both physiologically and pathologically. Accumulated evidence indicates that the astrocyte is an important contributor to the pathophysiology of MDD including blood-brain barrier (BBB) integrity, gap junctions, gliotransmission, glutamate homeostasis, and energy metabolism. Here, we comprehensively summarize an astroglial basis for MDD based on molecular, cellular, and circuit properties, suggesting that astrocytes appear to be highly sensitive to stress and are likely to be uniquely positioned to integrate peripheral and central stress responses.