Adriana Ferreira
Title: Assistant Professor
Research area: Molecular cell biology of synaptogenesis
Degree: M.D., Ph.D., Universidad Nacional de Cordoba (Argentina)
Voice: 312.503. 4300
Fax: 312.503. 7345
e-mail: a-ferreira@northwestern.edu

Detailed research description: The long-term goal of my research is to understand, from a cell and molecular biological perspective, how mammalian central neurons establish and maintain specific synaptic connections. By establishing these specific synaptic contacts, neurons acquire and process information, a mechanism essential for learning and memory. Recently, I have begun studying the role of different synaptic proteins during the initial phases of neuritic elongation, synaptogenesis and synapse maintenance. In the past two years, my work has focused on the synapsins. The synapsins (synapsin I and synapsin II) are a family of phosphoproteins expressed only in neurons and specifically localized in the presynaptic compartment of the synapses. In the nerve terminals, the synapsins associate with the cytoplasmic surface of synaptic vesicles and bind to the cytoskeleton. We have shown that both synapsin I and II are involved in axonal elongation and branching. In addition, we showed that the synapsins are required for both the formation and maintenance of synapses. Currently we are studying the mechanisms involved in the acquisition of competence to form synapses at the pre and postsynaptic sites. These studies will provide the basic knowledge needed to analyze the synapse loss associated with neurodegenerative diseases. We are currently investigating the fate of the synapsins and other synaptic proteins under conditions of neuritic degeneration induced by fibrillar beta amyloid. Our experimental approach involves the use of video-enhanced video microscopy, the generation of null mutations (antisense technology, knockout mice) immunocytochemistry, electron microscopy, protein biochemistry and molecular biology.

Representative publications:

Ferreira, A., Kosik, K.S., Greengard, P. and Han, H-Q.
  (1994). Aberrant neurites and synaptic vesicle protein
  deficiency in synapsin II-depleted neurons Science 264:977-979

Ferreira, A., Han, H-Q, Greengard, P. and Kosik, K.S.
  (1995). Suppression of synapsin II inhibits the formation
  and maintenance of synapses in hippocampal culture.
  Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. U.S.A. 92: 9225-9229.

Ferreira, A. and Kosik, K.S. (1996) Accelerated neuronal
  differentiation induced by p53 suppression. J. Cell. Sci. 109:1509-1516.

Ferreira, A., Chin, L., Li, L, Kosik, K. and Greengard, P.
  (1996) Postsynaptic element contributes to the
  delay in synaptogenesis in synapsin I-deficient neurons.
  Mol. Cell. Neurosci. 8:286-299.

Ferreira, A., Lu, Q., Orecchio, L. and Kosik, K. (1997)
  Selective phosphorylation of adult tau isoforms in mature
  hippocampal neurons exposed to fibrillar Ab. Mol. Cell.
  Neurosci. 9: 220-234.

Rapoport, M. and Ferreira, A. (1999) PD98059 prevents
  neurite degeneration induced by fibrillar beta amyloid in
  mature hippocampal neurons. J. Neuroch. (In press).

Ferreira, A. (1999) Abnormal synapse formation in
  agrin-depleted hippocampal neurons. J. Cell Sci. (In press).