Pericyte Electrical Signalling and Brain Haemodynamics

Abstract

Dynamic control of membrane potential lies at the nexus of a wide spectrum of biological processes, ranging from the control of individual cell secretions to the orchestration of complex thought and behaviour. Electrical signals in all vascular cell types (smooth muscle cells, endothelial cells and pericytes) contribute to the control of haemodynamics and energy delivery across spatiotemporal scales and throughout all tissues. Here, our goal is to review and synthesize key studies of electrical signalling within the brain vasculature and integrate these with recent data illustrating an important electrical signalling role for pericytes, in doing so attempting to work towards a holistic description of blood flow control in the brain by vascular electrical signalling. We use this as a framework for generating further questions that we believe are important to pursue. Drawing parallels with electrical signal integration in the nervous system may facilitate deeper insights into how signalling is organized within the vasculature and how it controls blood flow at the network level.