STARFIELD ASTROCYTE AND THE TRANSWARP KEY Out of the shadow of night, out of Quiescence a light has dawned…Starchild out of the CRSLX! When we trivialize what appears insignificant which appears meaningless we shortcut the significant Making a big deal THESIS Adult neurogenesis depends on the decision of neural stem cells to leave quiescence and become neurons. In this issue, Asrican et al. show that the neuropeptide cholecystokinin released by interneurons promotes the neuronal fate through astrocytic signaling.The dentate gyrus of the hippocampus contains radial-glia-like neural stem cells (rNSCs) that give rise to functional neurons throughout the entire lifespan. Host circuits continuously integrate new dentate granule cells (GCs) that impose substantial remodeling involving synapse formation and elimination, activity-dependent competition, and modifications in the balance between excitation and inhibition (Sailor et al., 2017). Neurogenesis changes the manner in which information is processed because the remodeled network may provide new solution outputs to a given input. PLASTICITYThis remarkable type of plasticity was shown to influence several functions that rely on the hippocampus, including the 1. discrimination of spatial contexts associated with positive or negative rewards, 2. detection of novel features in a familiar environment,3. resilience to stress and depression, and 4. the ability to forget old memories (Toda et al., 2019). The transformation of rNSCs into neurons is sensitive to regulatory factors that may respond to behavior, aging, or pathological conditions. Regulation may occur at the decision to leave quiescence, the rate at which progenitor cells multiply, or at later points along the pathway that ends with a fully integrated neuron. In general, an increase in physical or cognitive activity and social interaction drives neurogenesis forward, whereas isolation, stress, or aging tend to put the brakes on the process (Kempermann, 2015). All of these variables ultimately converge into different forms of local circuit activity that will impinge on the mechanisms involved in the neurogenic pathway.Neurogenesis starts with rNSCs leaving quiescenceOnce active, they may self-renew to replenish the population or become progenitor cells to produce neuroblasts. Why don’t they leave quiescence all at once? What keeps them dormant, and what triggers their activation? There are different components in the hippocampal neurogenic niche that might act as sensors of circuit activity and deliver local cues. Neurons, glia, the vasculature, and axons from long-range projections might release neurotransmitters, modulators, or other factors that transduce information from the niche to rNSCs (Vicidomini et al., 2020). RADIAL GLIA LIKE NEURAL STEM CELLS Understanding the mechanisms underlying the transitions from dormant rNSCs to mature GCs is critical to harness neurogenesis as a strategy to enhance circuit plasticity in the senescent brain.Both physical exercise and exploration of an enriched environment boost the electrical activity in the dentate gyrus, yet only exercise increases proliferation of rNSCsGlorification | The Final Frontier Going Boldly Where The Last Man has Gone Before! Decrease time over target: PayPal or Venmo @clastronaut Cash App $clastronaut