fig2

Figure 2. Astrocyte-neuron-oligodendrocyte energy metabolism interactions. Glucose in neurons is primarily used for ATP production and is metabolized into lactate in astrocytes. The glucose transporters (GLUTs) mediate the transportation of glucose into cells. GLUT1, located in cerebral endothelial cells, transits glucose from the blood into the brain tissue. GLUT1 also mediates the entrance of glucose into astrocytes and oligodendrocytes. Glucose is transported into neurons via GLUT3. Monocarboxylate transporters (MCTs) and connexin (Cx) contribute to astrocyte-neuron-oligodendrocyte lactate transport. MCT1 and MCT4 in astrocytes release lactate, which diffuses into neurons due to the lactate gradient and is actively taken up by neurons via the MCT2. Additionally, MCT1 in the myelin cooperates with MCT2 in the axon to translate the lactate from oligodendrocytes to neurons. Therefore, glucose and lactate, together with their transporters, contribute to the astrocyte-neuron-oligodendrocyte energy metabolism interactions. TCA: Tricarboxylic acid; PPP: pentose phosphate pathway; LDH: lactate dehydrogenase. From Zhang et al., with permission^[128].