Studies on plasticity and neurodegeneration in rat hippocampus 14+

📓 Hippocampus plays an essential role in learning andmemory. Numerous studies have been directed atunderstanding the mechanisms underlying theseprocesses. In particular, the role of proteinsynthesis has been extensively debated. Hippocampusis also extremely vulnerable to numerous stressorsincluding excitotoxicity and stroke, and themechanisms underlying vulnerability of hippocampalneurons to stress are still not completelyunderstood. Studies here are concerned with bothproblems. Activity-dependent activation of excitatorysynapses results in cell membrane depolarization,calcium influx, brief activation of calcium-dependentsignaling cascades, changes in dendriticcytoskeleton and protein synthesis; on the otherhand, excessive activation of excitatory synapseselicits excessive calcium influx, prolongedactivation of calcium-dependent proteases such ascalpain, breakdown of calcium homeostasis andneuronal damage. While my studies cover bothneurodegeneration and synaptic plasticity, the commonpathways they share suggest that depending onactivation conditions, the same pathway might act ondistinct substrates and produce quite different results.