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Maria Morabito, Ph.D.Academic Role: Assistant Professor
Faculty Appointment(s) In:
Other Affiliation(s):
Regulation of Excitatory Synapses in Development and Disease
The focus of the research in my lab is the identification of the molecular mechanisms that regulate glutamatergic synapses in the normal and diseased mammalian brain so that we can develop a better understanding of the etiology of neurological and psychiatric disorders. Neuronal circuits are formed during development and can undergo modifications throughout adulthood, for example in response to learning. The basic unit of neuronal circuitry and site of contact between neurons is the synapse. Glutamatergic synapses constitute the majority of excitatory synapses in the brain and their inputs are received by dendritic spines – dynamic, postsynaptic, actin-rich structures crucial for the regulation of synaptic transmission.Structural and functional alterations of glutamatergic synapses, including abnormalities in the density and morphology of dendritic spines, synapse loss, and altered synaptic signaling and plasticity have been associated with developmental, psychiatric, and neurologic disorders such as autism, schizophrenia, and Alzheimer’s. An integral component of dendritic spines is the postsynaptic density (PSD), a cytoskeletal structure which organizes the postsynaptic signaling machinery. The PSD is molecularly complex and contains many classes of proteins including adhesion molecules, and scaffolding, cytoskeletal, and signaling proteins. The PSD also contains NMDA and AMPA receptors, two types of glutamate receptors that play critical roles in learning and memory, neurologic and psychiatric disorders. Studies from many laboratories have indicated that dendritic spines and their PSD are dynamic structures that are modified by neuronal activity and in response to LTP and LTD, two forms of synaptic plasticity related to learning and memory. My lab is interested in understanding the molecular and functional organization of dendritic spines in normal physiological conditions and in identifying alterations associated with synaptic dysfunction. We are using genetic, pharmacological, cellular, molecular, and imaging approaches to gain insight into the postsynaptic networks that regulate NMDA and AMPA receptors signaling and the morphology and stability of dendritic spines. Current projects in the laboratory:
Office: S7-244
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55 Lake Avenue North Worcester, MA 01655