Section: Rotations

Maria Morabito, Ph.D.

Academic Role: Assistant Professor

Faculty Appointment(s) In:
   Cell Biology

Other Affiliation(s):
   Program in Neuroscience

Rotations

Research in our lab is focused on the regulation of glutamatergic synapses in the formation and function of synapses, and their dysfunction in neurological and psychiatric disorders.  Specifically, we are interested in identifying signal transduction pathways that regulate post-synaptic responses and cytoskeletal changes upon synaptic transmission.  We identified a novel mechanism by which the cdk5 kinase regulates glutamatergic synapses.  Cdk5 phosphorylates the postsynaptic scaffolding protein PSD-95 in vivo and thus regulates the clustering of PSD-95 and NMDA receptors at mature synapses (Morabito et al., 2004).

The following projects are available:

1. We are studying the impact that the kinase cdk5 has on the trafficking of PSD-95 in hippocampal neurons in culture.  Students will study the development of synapses in neuronal cultures lacking cdk5 activity by using imaging, cell biological, and molecular techniques. They will carry out time-lapse microscopy to study the movement of GFP-tagged PSD-95 phosphorylation mutants in cultured neurons.
2. We are interested in developing animal models for studying the impact of cdk5-dependent phosphorylation on learning and memory.  Students will develop knock-in mutant mice carrying mutations in phosphorylation sites in genes encoding PSD-95 and the NMDA receptor subunits NR2A.
3. We are investigating molecular mechanisms for NMDA receptor involvement in drug addiction and psychiatric (e.g. Schizophrenia) and neurodegenerative (e.g. Huntington' s) disorders. Students will use cell biological and molecular techniques to identify changes in protein interactions at synapses in paradigms of synaptic dysfunction.

Office: S7-244
Phone: 508 856-2018
E-mail: Maria.Morabito@umassmed.edu
Keywords: Neurobiology, Cell Biology, Signal Transduction

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