|
|
|
4 YEAR PhD IN NEUROSCIENCE
Paikan Marcaggi
Department of Neuroscience, Physiology & Pharmacology
Modulation of neurotransmitter release: role of cannabinoid signaling and transporters
Using in vitro electrophysiological methods and calcium imaging, we are investigating two fundamental mechanisms controlling the amount of glutamate released at central synapses: (1) the modulation by endocannabinoids of the number of vesicles of transmitter released, and its dependence on synaptic crosstalk mediated by glutamate spillover between synapses; (2) the modulation of the amount of glutamate released from each vesicle.
AVAILABLE PROJECTS
Current projects include: investigating tonic activation of type 1 cannabinoid receptors in the cerebellum; investigating the modulation of glutamate accumulation in synaptic vesicles; studying transmission-mediated pH changes at glutamatergic synapses.
SELECTED PUBLICATIONS
Marcaggi P & Attwell D (2007)
Short- and long-term depression of rat cerebellar parallel fibre synaptic transmission mediated by synaptic crosstalk.
J Physiol 578, 545-5
Provent P, Kickler N, Barbier EL, Bergerot A, Farion R, Goury S, Marcaggi P, Segebarth C & Coles JA (2007)
The ammonium-induced increase in rat brain lactate concentration is rapid and reversible and is compatible with trafficking and signaling roles for ammonium.
J Cereb Blood Flow Metab 27, 1830-1840
Owe SG, Marcaggi P & Attwell D (2006)
The ionic stoichiometry of the GLAST glutamate transporter in salamander retinal glia.
J Physiol 577, 591-9
Marcaggi P & Attwell D (2005)
Endocannabinoid signaling depends on the spatial pattern of synapse activation.
Nature Neurosci. 8, 776-781
Marcaggi P, Hirji N & Attwell D (2005)
Release of L-aspartate by reversal of glutamate transporters.
Neuropharmacology 49, 843-9.
Marcaggi P, Jeanne M & Coles JA (2004)
Neuron-glial trafficking of NH4+ and K+: separate routes of uptake into glial cells of bee retina.
Eur. J. Neurosci. 19, 966-76.
Marcaggi P & Attwell D (2004)
The role of glial amino acid transporters in synaptic transmission and brain energetics.
Glia 47, 217-25
Marcaggi P, Billups D & Attwell D (2003)
The role of glial glutamate transporters in maintaining the independent operation of juvenile mouse cerebellar parallel fibre synapses.
J. Physiol. 552, 89-107.
More: http://www.ucl.ac.uk/Pharmacology/research/pm.html
Back to list of supervisors
