Laboratory of Neuroplasticity

Head: Małgorzata KOSSUT

Staff: Maria Bierzyńska (PhD student), Kalina Burnat, Anita Cybulska-Kłosowicz, Weronika Dębowska (PhD student), Karolina Laskowska-Macios (PhD student), Monika Liguz-Lęcznar, Aleksandra Kaliszewska (PhD student), Anna Posłuszny, Ewa Siucińska, Renata Zakrzewska, Monika Zapaśnik (PhD student)

Research profile:

Cellular, molecular, and systemic mechanisms of neuroplasticity are explored using three experimental models:

• learning-induced plasticity in the somatosensory cortex in rodents. Here our major interest is regulation of inhibition and excitability. We found upregulation of inhibitory interactions, GABA-ergic markers and rapid inhibitory synaptogenesis in the cortex as a result of learning. Simultaneously, neuronal excitability was changed by regulation of potassium channels
• reorganization of cerebral cortex after stroke and during ageing. We demonstrated spontaneous remapping of the cortex after stroke. We also found that inflammatory processes impede the progress of neuroplasticity. Ageing resulted in slowing down of cortical plasticity
• developmental plasticity of cat visual system. Behavioral and anatomical investigations are conducted in parallel. Correlates of global motion impairments in pattern deprived cats at the retina level and in higher visual structures are explored

Methods:

• brain mapping with [14C]2-deoxyglucose autoradiography and fMRI
• single cell and evoked potential electrophysiology
• immunocytochemistry
• RT PCR
• in situ hybridization
• ELISA
• confocal microscopy
• photothromboticc stroke
• behavioural training
• stereotactic injections
• fMRI, MRI

Current research activities:

• brain mapping during learning
• investigations of the pattern of brain activation at various stages of learning sensory discrimination and of classical conditioning in mice, using [14C]2-deoxyglucose autora- diography and IEG immunocytochemistry
• investigation of the effects of silencing GAD67 gene upon cortical plasticity
• investigation of the role of Npas4 in cortical plasticity
• electrophysiological correlates of enriched environment in neurons of the barrel cortex – a patch clamp and evoked potentials study
• the effect of post-stroke inflammation on brain plasticity
• alterations in development and activity of visual system induced by binocular deprivation – behavioral and IEG studies
• fMRI investigations of learning-inducted brain plasticity and its modulations by stress

Selected publications:

Dębowska W., Liguz-Lęcznar M., Kossut M. (2011) Bilateral plasticity of vibrissae SII representation induced by classical condi- tioning in mice. Journal of Neuroscience, 31: 5447-5453.

Jabłonka J.A., Burnat K., Witte O.W., Kossut M. (2010) Remapping of the somatosensory cortex after a photothrombotic stroke: dynamics of the compensatory reorganization. Neuroscience, 165: 90-100.

Jasińska M., Siucińska E., Cybulska-Kłosowicz A., Pyza E., Furness D.N., Kossut M. Głażewski S. (2010) Rapid, learning-induced inhibitory synaptogenesis in murine barrel field. Journal of Neuroscience, 30: 1176-1184.

Urban-Ciećko J., Kossut M., Mozrzymas J. (2010) Sensory learning differentially affects GABAergic tonic currents in excitatory neurons and fast spiking interneurons in layer IV of mouse barrel cortex. Journal of Neurophysiology, 104: 746-754.

Cybulska-Kłosowicz A., Zakrzewska R., Kossut, M. (2009) Brain activation patterns during classical conditioning with appeti- tive and aversive UCS. Behavioral Brain Resaerch, 204: 102-111.