Alzheimer's disease(AD) is a neurodegenerative disease characterized by memory loss and cognitive impairment. To date, however, no disease-modifying strategies to prevent or cure AD exist. Synapses are involved in the connection of neurons and present as the key component for the memory and other neural activities. Synapse loss is a critical hallmark of AD pathology. In brain, glia cells, including microglia and astrocytes, are a group of highly specific cell types other than neurons. Microglia and astrocytes play a key role in maintaining the healthy neural circuit and regulating synaptic plasticity. Under development and physiological conditions, glial cells contribute to construct and maintain mature central neural networks via synaptic pruning. However, during AD pathogenesis, glial cells engulf synapses excessively, which leads to synapse loss, neuronal dysfunction, and cognitive impairment. Here, we review recent advances in our understanding of the underlying mechanisms for glia-mediated synaptic pruning in AD, and provide a novel strategy for the development of AD drugs.
| 科 Family | 属数 Number of genus | 种数 Number of species | 占总种数比例 Percentage of total species (%) | 属 Genus | 种数 Number of species | 占总种数比例 Percentage of total species (%) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 鹅膏菌科Amanitaceae | 2 | 11 | 5.26 | 鹅膏菌属 Amanita | 10 | 4.78 |
| 小菇科 Mycenaceae | 2 | 12 | 5.74 | 丝盖伞属 Inocybe | 5 | 2.39 |
| 多孔菌科 Polyporaceae | 8 | 14 | 6.70 | 蜡蘑属 Laccaria | 5 | 2.39 |
| 红菇科 Russulaceae | 3 | 23 | 11.00 | 小皮伞属 Marasmius | 6 | 2.87 |
| 小菇属 Mycena | 11 | 5.26 | ||||
| 光柄菇属 Pluteus | 5 | 2.39 | ||||
| 红菇属 Russula | 17 | 8.13 | ||||
| 栓菌属 Trametes | 5 | 2.39 |