Fig. 3
From: TDP-43 dysregulation and neuromuscular junction disruption in amyotrophic lateral sclerosis
Non-cell autonomous mechanisms exerted by cells interacting with MN cell bodies. TDP-43 aggregates are detected in astrocytes, microglia, oligodendrocytes and myelinating Schwann cells in specimens from individuals with ALS, indicating that TDP-43 also becomes dysregulated in non-neuronal cell types. TDP-43 dysregulation has been associated with demyelination, glial activation (i.e., astrogliosis, microgliosis), and glutamate mishandling by astrocytes, which may trigger functional deficits at the NMJ or cause cytotoxicity leading to the retraction of motor terminals