Department of Neurobiology

Scientific profile

About department
Employees
Laboratories

The Department of Neurobiology consists of separate research teams and the independent Laboratory of Trace Elements Neurobiology. Research teams conduct complementary studies in areas such as metabotropic receptors for glutamate and the search for new sites of action for psychotropic drugs.

The team consisting of the following members: dr hab. Agnieszka Pałucha-Poniewiera (PhD), Karolina Podkowa (MPharm) and Szymon Rzeźniczek (MSc) takes part in the study of potential antidepressant properties of glutamate metabotropic ligands and their mechanisms of action.

The team consisting of the following members: Piotr Brański (PhD), Grzegorz Burnat (PhD), Paulina Chorobik (PhD), Marcin Marcinak (PhD), Barbara Chruścicka (MSc) deals with an identification and pharmacodynamic characteristics of biologically active chemical compounds. Their studies are focused on metabotropic receptors, in particular mGluR and GABA B.

The methodology and experimental procedures

Mammalian cell cultures
Analysis of protein expression using RT-PCR and Western Blot
Immunofluorescence (microscopy and FACS)
Measurement of metabotropic receptors-mediated GTPase activity in isolated cell membranes
Cyclic ATP measurement (cells, tissue sections) using HTRF
Kinetic luminometric measurement of intracellular cAMP levels using a molecular sensor (Glo)
Measurement of the IP1 accumulation (cells, tissue sections) using HTRF
Measurement of intracellular mobilization of calcium ions (fluorescence)
Molecular cloning (propagation of bacterial vectors, modification of DNA sequence, transfer into mammalian cells [including tetracycline-inducible gene expression system], selection of cell clones)
Point mutations
Experiments on transgenic animals (PCR, electrophoretic separation of products)
Evaluation of sperm quality parameters (evaluation of: motility, vitality – eosinophilic test, maturity – presence and location of cytoplasmic droplets, integrity of cytoplasmic membrane – hyposmotic test and morphology of spermatozoids)

Dr hab. Joanna Wierońska (PhD), Monika Woźniak (MSc) and Paulina Cieślik (MSc) form a team whose main research direction are antipsychotics and their mechanisms of action. We use animal models of positive, negative and cognitive symptoms as well as techniques to determine the level of specific proteins and mRNA. Our studies oscillate around metabotropic receptors for glutamate and GABA B receptors.

The Laboratory of Neurodegeneration and Neuroprotection (no formal status), whose members are prof. dr hab. Maria Śmiałowska and Dr. Helena Domin, is involved in:

Research on neurodegeneration and neuroprotection in experimental models of ischemia
Study of neuroprotective and antidepressant mechanisms of glutamate group III receptor ligands and neuropeptide Y receptor ligands
Study of anatomical and histochemical interactions between different types of neurons and astrocytes in the cerebral cortex and limbic structures. We pay special attention to GABA and NPY neurons.

Methods used

Histology (Nissl, HE, Kluver-Barrera staining)
Histochemistry and immunohistochemistry (NPY-ir, GAD67-ir, GFAP-ir, CRF-ir, NeuN-ir, TH-ir, TrpH-ir, immunohistochemical staining of selected receptors, and others)
Stereological quantification in microscopic images
Intracerebral administration of substances
Behavioral observations and tests
Western blot analysis of selected proteins or peptides.

The team closely collaborates with Laboratories of the Department of Neurobiology and other researchers in the Institute, especially in the field of behavior, Western blotting, neural cell cultures, and assessment of neurodegenerative changes in Parkinson’s disease models.

Scientific profile

The methodology and experimental procedures

Methods used

Bernadeta Szewczyk, dr hab.

Head

Employees

Agnieszka Pałucha-Poniewiera, dr hab.

Joanna Wieronska, dr hab.

Professor Gabriel Nowak, dr hab.

Professor Andrzej Pilc, dr hab.

Professor Maria Śmiałowska, dr hab.

Helena Domin, dr hab.

Bartłomiej Pochwat, dr

Anna Rafało-Ulińska, dr

Katarzyna Stachowicz, dr hab.

Dorota Bederska-Łojewska, dr

Piotr Brański, dr

Grzegorz Burnat, dr

Barbara Chruścicka-Smaga, dr

Łukasz Gąsior, dr

Michał Santocki, dr

Yana Babii, mgr

Agata Machaczka, mgr

Employees

Joanna Wieronska, dr hab.

Michał Santocki, dr

Laboratory of Neurobiology of Psychiatric Disorders

Achievements

Award

L'OREAL For Women in Science

Award

Scientific Team Award WUM

Award

Postdoc Research position Vanderbilt University

Mood disorders: Regulation by metabotropic glutamate receptors

Pilc, A., Chaki, S., Nowak, G., Witkin, J.M.

Lack of NMDA-AMPA interaction in antidepressant-like effect of CGP 37849, an antagonist of NMDA receptor, in the forced swim test

Dybała, M., Siwek, A., Poleszak, E., Pilc, A., Nowak, G.

The molecular interactions of buspirone analogues with the serotonin transporter

Jarończyk, M., Chilmonczyk, Z., Mazurek, A.P., Nowak, G., Ravna, A.W., Kristiansen, K., Sylte, I.

Antidepressant-like activity of 8-Br-cAMP, a PKA activator, in the forced swim test

Brański, P., Palucha, A., Szewczyk, B., Wierońska, J.M., Pilc, A., Nowak, G.

Chronic imipramine treatment reduces inhibitory properties of group II mGlu receptors without affecting their density or affinity

Pałucha, A., Brański, P., Kłak, K., Sowa, M.

Metabotropic glutamate receptor ligands as possible anxiolytic and antidepressant drugs

Palucha, A., Pilc, A.

Combined administration of PHCCC, a positive allosteric modulator of mGlu4 receptors and ACPT-I, mGlu III receptor agonist evokes antidepressant-like effects in rats

Kłak, K., Pałucha, A., Brański, P., Sowa, M., Pilc, A.

Citalopram influences mGlu7, but not mGlu4 receptors' expression in the rat brain hippocampus and cortex

Wierońska, J.M., Kłak, K., Pałucha, A., Brański, P., Pilc, A.

Activation of the mGlu7 receptor elicits antidepressant-like effects in mice

Palucha, A., Klak, K., Branski, P., Van Der Putten, H., Flor, P.J., Pilc, A.

NMDA/glutamate mechanism of antidepressant-like action of magnesium in forced swim test in mice

Poleszak, E., Wlaź, P., Kedzierska, E., Nieoczym, D., Wróbel, A., Fidecka, S., Pilc, A., Nowak, G.

Head

Bernadeta Szewczyk, dr hab.

See also