A large astrocyte subcluster (“Synaptic Astrocytes”) was marked by higher expression of excitatory amino acid transporters 1 and 2 (glutamate transporters), glutamate receptor 2 (an AMPA receptor subunit), and glutamate synthase, suggesting that these astrocytes may play a role in maintaining glutamatergic synapses (Fig. 2E, Supplementary Tables 5-6). The other subcluster (“Structural Astrocytes”) was marked by high expression of cytoskeleton-related protein-coding genes GFAP and DCLK1, extracellular matrix protein tenascin C, and CD44, coding for a protein involved in cell adhesion and migration, and thus may be involved in structural support or tissue repair.
