Lucas Pozzo-Miller Ph.D.
Assistant Professor, UAB Department of Neurobiology; Co-Director, Simultaneous Laser Scanning Imaging and Electrophysiology Core; MRRC ScientistUniversity of Alabama Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities Research Center
University of Alabama at Birmingham, Civitan International Research Center
Birmingham, AL 35294-0021
205-934-0100 (tel)
[email protected]
http://www.mrrc.uab.edu/
Biography/Curriculum Vitae:
pozzo-miller_l.pdf
Research Interests:
Calcium signaling; synaptic plasticity; neurotrophic factors
Narrative of Current Research Efforts:
Dr. Pozzo-Miller's long-term research interest is to characterize the functional role of structurally defined neuronal compartments such as spines, dendrites, and presynaptic terminals, and how they participate in synaptic function and plasticity. The work in the lab focuses on the transient elevations of intracellular free Ca2+ concentration induced by neuronal activity, and defining their role in synaptic plasticity. The lab investigates the effects of neurotrophins on synapses as an initial approach to characterize the regulation of synaptic transmission and plasticity by slow-acting, non-classical neuromodulators.
Neurotrophins are secretory proteins that regulate neuronal survival and differentiation. Recent studies indicate that neurotrophins also modulate synapse development and plasticity. The lab is studying the effects of brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) on dendritic Ca2+ signaling in hippocampal neurons from normal rats, as well as from BDNF or TrkB receptor knockout mice. The modulation of Ca2+ signals in spines and dendrites may underlie the actions of neurotrophic factors in hippocampal synaptic transmission and plasticity. A related project in the lab is to characterize the effect of neurotrophic factors on the structural differentiation of dendrites, spines and synapses. Neurotrophic factors are strong candidates to provide the molecular signaling pathways mediating complex interactions leading to appropriate dendritic maturation and synapse development.
The simultaneous application of morphological, physiological, and optical imaging techniques to in vitro models such as the acute and cultured hippocampal slices provides unique opportunities to study the role of separate functional cellular compartments in synaptic function and integration at the single neuron level in the Central Nervous System.
Major Honors and Awards:
Representative Publications:
Amaral, M.D., and Pozzo-Miller, L. (2005). On the role of neurotrophins in dendritic calcium signaling: implications for hippocampal trans-synaptic plasticity. In: Synaptic Plasticity and Transsynaptic Signaling, PK Stanton, C Bramham, H Scharfman (Eds), Springer, New York. In Press.
Alonso M., Medina, J.H., Pozzo-Miller, L. (2004). ERK activation is necessary for BDNF to increase dendritic spine density in hippocampal CA1 pyramidal neurons. Learn. Mem., 11:172-178.
Tyler, W.J. ,and Pozzo-Miller, L. (2003). BDNF and miniature synaptic transmission modulate dendritic spine growth and form in hippocampal CA1 pyramidal neurons. J. Physiol. (London) 553: 497-509.
Pivovarova, N.B., Pozzo-Miller, L.D., Hongpaisan, J., Andrews, S.B. (2002). Correlated calcium uptake and release by mitochondria and endoplasmic reticulum of CA3 hippocampal dendrites after afferent synaptic stimulation. J. Neurosci., 22:10653-10661.
Tao-Cheng, J-H, Vinade, L., Pozzo-Miller, L.D., Reese, T.S., Dosemeci, A. (2002). Calcium/calmoludin-dependent protein kinase II clusters in adult rat hippocampal slices. Neuroscience 115:435-440.
McCutchen, M.E., Bramham, C., Pozzo-Miller, L.D. (2002). Modulation of neuronal Ca2+ signaling by neurotrophic factors. Int. J. Dev. Neurosci., 20:199-207.
Created 1/5/2006 by Evette Mezger
Last modified 4/11/2006 by Danielle Onunkwo
