At the cellular level, brain plasticity relies on modifications in synaptic connectivity and excitability that are driven by molecular changes in presynapse, postsynapse, glia and extracellular matrix. Synapses are particularly prone to dynamic alterations and thus are believed to play a major role in plasticity. We study structural and functional synaptic modifications regulated by extracellular matrix proteolytic modifiers. In particular, we investigate the role of the extracellular matrix proteins and cell adhesion molecules in synapse formation and stabilization and their influence on postsynaptic receptor composition. We employ imaging based techniques to assess the reorganization of activity patterns accompanied by local volumetric changes at the synapses. Another line of research aims to understand the cooperative involvement of serotonin signaling pathways and extracellular matrix in synaptic plasticity underlying the pathogenesis of stress-related disorders.

Please see also: http://www.nencki.gov.pl/en/laboratory-of-cell-biophysics

5 Selected Publications

Szepesi Z., Bijata M., Ruszczycki B., Kaczmarek L., Wlodarczyk J. (2013) Matrix metalloproteinases regulate the formation of dendritic spine head protrusions during chemically induced long-term potentiation. PLoS One., 8 (5): e63314. doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0063314.

Ruszczycki B., Szepesi Z., Wilczynski GM., Bijata M., Kalita K., Kaczmarek L., Wlodarczyk J. (2012) Sampling issues in quantitative analysis of dendritic spines morphology. BMC Bioinformatics., 13 : 213.

Dziembowska M., Wlodarczyk J. (2012) MMP-9: a novel function in synaptic plasticity. Int. J. Biochem. Cell Biol., 44 (5) : 709-13.

Wlodarczyk J., Mukhina I., Kaczmarek L., Dityatev A. (2011) Extracellular matrix molecules, their receptors and secreted proteases in synaptic plasticity. Dev. Neurobiol., 71 (11) : 1040-53.

Michaluk P., Wawrzyniak M., Alot P., Szczot M., Wyrembek P., Mercik K., Medvedev N., Wilczek E., De Roo M., Zuschratter W., Muller D., Wilczynski GM., Mozrzymas JW., Stewart MG., Kaczmarek L., Wlodarczyk J. (2011) Influence of matrix metalloproteinase, MMM-9 on Dendritic Spine Morphology. J. Cell Sci., 124 (Pt 19) : 3369-80.

Awards, Fellowships and Honours

• PhD students awards (Board of Directors of Institute of Experimental Physics, Warsaw University)
• Max Planck Institute for Biophysical Chemistry Scholarship from Prof. E. Neher
• EMBO fellowship

• Fluorescence confocal microscopy
• Fluorescence lifetime imaging
• FRET based methods
• Superresolution light microscopy
• Methods for protein-protein interactions study in living cells