Experience-dependent control of synaptic remodeling and structural plasticity by glia

The central nervous system (CNS) integrates intrinsic molecular cues with sensory experience to shape synaptic connectivity between neurons. Once established, these emergent neural circuits remain plastic into adulthood to facilitate behavioral adaptations to changes in the sensory landscape. While sensory experience has been recognized as a major contributor to synaptic wiring since the foundational work of Hubel and Wiesel in the mid-1900s, the field has only recently begun to uncover the roles of nonneuronal cells, or glia, in experience-dependent aspects of synaptic refinement and remodeling. Herein, we review recent work demonstrating that many glial cell types—including invertebrate glia, astrocytes, microglia, and oligodendrocyte-lineage cells—participate in the experience-dependent remodeling of neural circuits across the lifespan.