Astrocyte markers
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Your at-a-glance guide to astrocyte markers.
We've pulled together the most common markers for astrocytes from recent literature, so you can quickly identify the suitable marker for your experiment.
Find your marker:
GFAP | EAAT1/GLAST |EAAT2/GLT-1 | Glutamine synthetase | S100beta | ALDH1L1
What are astrocytes?
Astrocytes are star-shaped glial cells that serve various functions in the central nervous system. They are vital for brain development, physiology and pathology.
Common astrocyte markers
GFAP
Glial fibrillary acidic protein (GFAP) is an intermediate filament and major component of the astrocyte cytoskeleton.
We recommend Recombinant Anti-GFAP antibody [EPR1034Y] (ab68428).
Image (left): Human hippocampus tissue section stained with anti-GFAP (ab68428).
EAAT1/GLAST
Excitatory amino acid transporter 1 (EAAT1) is an astrocyte-specific glutamate transporter. It may also be known as glutamate aspartate Transporter (GLAST).
We recommend Recombinant Anti-EAAT1 antibody [EPR12686] (ab181036).
Recommended selective EAAT1 inhibitors: UCPH-101 (ab120309) and UCPH-102 (ab146404)
Image (left): Rat cerebral cortex tissue sections stained with anti-EAAT1 (ab181036).
EAAT2/GLT-1
Excitatory amino acid transporter 2 (EAAT2) is an astrocyte-specific glutamate transporter. EAAT2 has many alternative names including solute carrier family 1 member 2 (SLC1A2) and glutamate transporter 1 (GLT-1).
We recommend Recombinant Anti-EAAT2 antibody [EPR19798] (ab205248).
| Biochemical | Recommended product |
| Selective EAAT2 inhibitor | Dihydrokainic acid (ab120066) |
| Stimulator of EAAT2 expression | Ceftriaxone (ab120871) |
| Potent and competitive EAAT1-4 inhibitor | L-(-)-threo-3-Hydroxyaspartic acid (ab146130) |
| Potent and competitive EAAT2, EAAT4 and EAAT5 inhibitor | L-trans-Pyrrolidine-2,4-dicarboxylic acid (ab146131) |
Image (left): Mouse striatum tissue sections stained with anti-EAAT2 (green) (ab205248).
Glutamine synthetase
This enzyme is involved in the metabolism of nitrogen. In the brain it is primarily found in astrocytes.
We recommend Recombinant Anti-Glutamine Synthetase antibody [EPR13022(B)] (ab176562).
Image (left): Mouse cerebrum tissue sections stained with anti-glutamine synthetase (green) (ab176562).
S100 beta
This is a calcium binding protein, also found in oligodendrocyte precursor cells (OPCs). Double labeling with NG2 will distinguish the OPCs from the astrocytes.
We recommend Recombinant Anti-S100 beta antibody [EP1576Y] - Astrocyte Marker (ab52642).
Image (left): Rat cerebrum tissue sections stained with anti-S100 beta (green) (ab52642).
ALDH1L1
Aldehyde dehydrogenase 1 family member L1 is an enzyme that catalyzes the conversion of 10-formyltetrahydrofolate, NADP+ and water to tetrahydrofolate, NADPH and CO2.
We recommend Recombinant Anti-ALDH1L1 antibody [EPR12743(B)] (ab177463).
Image (left): Human kidney tissue sections stained with anti-ALDH1L1 (ab177463).
References
- Abrahamsen, B. et al. Allosteric modulation of an excitatory amino acid transporter: the subtype-selective inhibitor UCPH-101 exerts sustained inhibition of EAAT1 through an intramonomeric site in the trimerization domain. J. Neurosci. 33, 1068–87 (2013).
- Cahoy, J. D. et al. A transcriptome database for astrocytes, neurons, and oligodendrocytes: a new resource for understanding brain development and function. J. Neurosci. 28, 264–78 (2008).
- Dimou, L. & Götz, M. Glial Cells as Progenitors and Stem Cells: New Roles in the Healthy and Diseased Brain. Physiol. Rev. 94, 709–737 (2014).
- Kriegstein, A. R. & Götz, M. Radial glia diversity: A matter of cell fate. Glia 43, 37–43 (2003).
- Lee, S.-G. et al. Mechanism of ceftriaxone induction of excitatory amino acid transporter-2 expression and glutamate uptake in primary human astrocytes. J. Biol. Chem. 283, 13116–23 (2008).
- Medrano, M. C., Gerrikagoitia, I., Martínez-Millán, L., Mendiguren, A. & Pineda, J. Functional and morphological characterization of glutamate transporters in the rat locus coeruleus. Br. J. Pharmacol. 169, 1781–94 (2013).
- Shigeri, Y. et al. Effects of threo-β-hydroxyaspartate derivatives on excitatory amino acid transporters (EAAT4 and EAAT5). J. Neurochem. 79, 297–302 (2008).