Elucidation of the molecular mechanisms of neuronal plasticity with particular emphasis on the role of the CREB dependent transcription pathway in memory formation.  To identify the role of specific proteins in neuronal plasticity, we optimized a new technique that allows for in vivo expression of recombinant proteins in the rodent brain. Using viral mediated gene transfer, we can express proteins of the CREB-dependent transcription pathway in live rats and investigate the phenotypes of the infected neurons in acutely dissociated brain slices by whole-cell electrophysiology.

We also investigate the defects in hippocampal function in Alzheimer mice models.

Peng Y. , He S., Marie H., Zeng S., Ma J., Tan Z., Lee S.Y., Malenka R.C., Yu X. (2009) Coordinated changes in dendritic arborization and synaptic strength during neural circuit development. Neuron 61:71-84.

Restivo L., Tafi E., Ammassari-Teule M., Marie H. (2009) Viral-mediated expression of a constitutively active form of CREB in hippocampal neurons increases memory. Hippocampus 19:228-234. 

Dong Y., Green T., Saal D., Marie H., Neve R., Nestler E.J., Malenka R.C. (2006) CREB modulates excitability of nucleus accumbens neurons. Nat. Neurosci. 9(4): 475-7.

Morishita W., Marie H. & Malenka R.C. (2005) Distinct triggering and expression mechanisms underlie LTD of AMPA and NMDA synaptic responses. Nat. Neurosci. 8(8): 1043-50.

Marie H., Morishita W., Calakos N. & Malenka R.C. (2005) Generation of Silent synapses by acute in vivo expression of active CaMKIV or CREB. Neuron 45(5):741-52.

Marie H., Pratt S.J., Betson M., Epple H., Kittler J.T., Meek L., Moss S.J., Troyanovsky S., Attwell D., Longmore G.D.& Braga V.M. (2003) The LIM protein Ajuba is recruited to cadherin-dependent cell junctions through an association with alpha Catenin. J. Biol. Chem. 278(2):1220-1228.

Marie H., Billups D., Bedford F.K., Dumoulin A., Goyal R.K., Longmore G.D., Moss S.J. & Attwell D. (2002) The amino terminus of the glial glutamate transporter GLT-1 interacts with the LIM protein Ajuba. Mol.Cell. Neurosci. 19(2):152-164.

Hamann M., Rossi D.J., Marie H. & Attwell D. (2002) Knocking out the glial glutamate transporter GLT-1 reduces glutamate uptake but does not affect hippocampal glutamate dynamics in early simulated ischaemia. Eur. J. Neurosci. 15(2):308-314.

Parkinson D.B., Dong Z., Bunting H., Whitfield J., Meier C., Marie H., Mirsky R. & Jessen K.R. (2001) Transforming growth factor beta (TGFbeta) mediates Schwann cell death in vitro and in vivo: examination of c-Jun activation, interactions with survival signals, and the relationship of TGFbeta mediated death to Schwann cell differentiation. J. Neurosci. 21(21):8572-8585.

Gray C., Marie H, Arora M., Tanaka K., Boyde A., Jones S. & Attwell D. (2001) Glutamate does not play a major role in controlling bone growth. J. Bone Miner. Res. 16(4):742-749.

Kanungo J., Pratt S.J., Marie H. & Longmore G.D. (2000) Ajuba, a cytosolic LIM protein, shuttles into the nucleus and affects embryonal cell proliferation and fate decisions. Mol. Biol. Cell. 11(10):3299-3313.

Marie H. & Attwell D. (1999) C-terminal interactions modulate the affinity of GLAST glutamate transporters in salamander retinal glial cells. J. Physiol. London 520 Pt 2:393-7.

Peng Y. , He S., Marie H., Zeng S., Ma J., Tan Z., Lee S.Y., Malenka R.C., Yu X. (2009) Coordinated changes in dendritic arborization and synaptic strength during neural circuit development. Neuron 61(1):71-84

Restivo L., Tafi E., Ammassari-Teule M., Marie H. (2009) Viral-mediated expression of a constitutively active form of CREB in hippocampal neurons increases memory.  Hippocampus 19:228-234

Dong Y., Green T., Saal D., Marie H., Neve R., Nestler E.J., Malenka R.C. (2006) CREB modulates excitability of nucleus accumbens neurons. Nat. Neurosci. Apr;9(4): 475-7.

Morishita W., Marie H. & Malenka R.C. (2005) Distinct triggering and expression mechanisms underlie LTD of AMPA and NMDA synaptic responses. Nat. Neurosci. Aug,8(8): 1043-50.

Marie H., Morishita W., Calakos N. & Malenka R.C. (2005) Generation of Silent synapses by acute in vivo expression of active CaMKIV or CREB. Neuron March 3, 45(5):741-52.

Marie H., Pratt S.J., Betson M., Epple H., Kittler J.T., Meek L., Moss S.J., Troyanovsky S., Attwell D., Longmore G.D.& Braga V.M. (2003) The LIM protein Ajuba is recruited to cadherin-dependent cell junctions through an association with alpha Catenin. J. Biol. Chem. Jan 10;278(2):1220-1228.

• Field and whole-cell electrophysiology of hippocampus
• Sindbis and lentivirus construction and production for in vivo expression of recombinant proteins and siRNAs.
• Alzheimer models hippocampal function analysis