Margherita Maria Lee
Dr. Margherita Maria Karabeg (geb. Lee)
Associated member: January 2011 - February 2013
Dissertation title: Impact of chronic mild stress on hippocampal adult neurogenesis in serotonin transporter knock-out mice.
Abstract: In many vertebrates including humans neurogenesis in the subventricular zone and in the dentate gyrus (DG) of the hippocampus carries on from the late embryonic stage until old age. Hippocampal adult Neurogenesis (aN) is known to be regulated by a number of factors such as age, acute and chronic stress, enriched environment, physical exercise, learning, seizures, ischemia, and antidepressants and is discussed to be linked to mental disorders such as schizophrenia.
Objectives: I - Compare the change of the distribution pattern of proliferating cells in the dentate gyrus (DG) in murine and human hippocampus during ontogenesis. II - Investigate if the fact that the area with the highest density of proliferating cells (Ki-67 positive cells) in the DG relocates from the hilus to the sub-granular zone (SGZ) of the murine hippocampus also holds true for the human hippocampus. III - Compare the distribution pattern of neurogenic cells to that of proliferating cells in the DG of murine and human hippocampus. IV - Evaluate if mental disorders in humans like major depression and schizophrenia somehow correlate with altered adult neurogenesis.
Project 2 - The serotonin (5HT) transporter (5HTT) regulates serotonergic neurotransmission by mediating the reuptake of 5HT from the synaptic cleft. In addition, the 5-HTT is the target of several antidepressants such as the SSRI fluoxetine and of drugs of abuse including methamphetamine (Ecstacy) and cocaine. The short allel of the 5HT transporter promotor results in lower 5-HTT mRNA and protein levels. Which in turn is associated with personality traits of negative emotionality including anxiety, depression and aggressiveness.
Objective: Evaluate possible genotype effects on the Morphology of Pyramidal Neurons in the Hippcampus of young 5HTT knock-out mice.
Principal investigator:
Current position:
Klinik und Poliklinik für Psychiatrie und Psychotherapie
Füchsleinstraße 15
97080 Würzburg
http://www.molecularpsychiatry.uk-wuerzburg.de/investigators.html
