Fly study suggests role for cation-chloride cotransporters in glia in seizure disorders

Rusan ZM, Kingsford OA, Tanouye MA. Modeling Glial Contributions to Seizures and Epileptogenesis: Cation-Chloride Cotransporters in Drosophila melanogaster. PLoS One. 2014 Jun 27;9(6):e101117. PMID: 24971529; PMCID: PMC4074161.

From the abstract: "Flies carrying a kcc loss-of-function mutation are more seizure-susceptible than wild-type flies. ... Here, we examined the spatial and temporal requirements for kcc loss-of-function to modify seizure-susceptibility in flies. Targeted RNA interference (RNAi) of kcc in various sets of neurons was sufficient to induce severe seizure-sensitivity. Interestingly, kcc RNAi in glia was particularly effective in causing seizure-sensitivity. ... The findings presented are the first attributing a causative role for glial cation-chloride cotransporters in seizures and epileptogenesis. The importance of elucidating glial cell contributions to seizure disorders and the utility of Drosophila models is discussed."