Department of Cellular Neurophysiology
Cellular, molecular and morphological changes in neurons and glial cells during pathological states:
- Characterization of events affecting ischemic brain damage, especially astrocytic swelling and the disturbance of Na+, K+, Cl- and Ca2+ homeostasis;
- the role of chloride movement in regulatory volume processes in astrocytes during and after oxygen-glucose deprivation;
- characterization of the ischemia-induced time-dependent changes in Ca2+ entry carried by TRP channels, ionotropic glutamate and purinergic receptors in glial cells;
- correlation of ischemia-induced changes, such as the onset of reactive gliosis and glial proliferation or apoptosis, with the expression of Na+ and K+ ion channels;
- identification of endogenous neural stem cell migration and differentiation during CNS regeneration – the role of morphogenes and growth factors;
- proliferation, migration and differentiation of region-specific neural stem/progenitor cells in vitro as well as after transplantation into the ischemic brain;
- morphometric measurements and three-dimensional reconstruction of morphological changes of neurons, glial cells and stem cells during pathological states and regeneration.
Newly generated transgenic rats that express the vasopressin-enhanced green (eGFP) or an oxytocin-enhanced cyan fluorescent protein fusion genes in the HNS. AVP-eGFP fluorescence was observed in the isolated supraoptic nucleus (SON; A) neurons, nerve terminals (B); OT-eCFP in the paraventricular nucleus (PVN; C) and the SON sections (D). Inset is isolated OT neurons from SONs.
Laboratory of Molecular Neurophysiology
By employing a complex of electrophysiological, video-imaging and molecular biological techniques, we seek to identify the main receptors responsible for calcium signalling pathways and localise the intracellular signalling cascades. Further, we work to develop a complex understanding of information processing in neuronal-glial circuits, thus contributing to a more inclusive theory of brain function, which emphasizes a continuous interplay of discreet neuronal networks with the reticular and internally continuous astroglial web.
Diversity of synaptic contacts between neural cells.
In the grey matter synapses may include (1) classic “tripartite” neuronal-neuronal contacts, enwrapped by an astroglial membrane; (2) neuronal glial synapses (which have already been shown for neuronal-astroglial (Jabs and others 2005) or neuronal-NG2 cell contacts (Lin and Bergles, 2004); (3) astroglial-neuronal synapses (which are yet to be discovered); and (4) astroglial-astroglial synapses, which may exist as electrical/gap junctional or chemical contacts. In the white matter astrocytes may act as presynaptic elements in astroglial-oligodendroglial synapses (5).
