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Greenough, William T.
Professor, Psychology, Cell and Developmental Biology
B.A., University of Oregon
M.A., Ph.D., University of California, Los Angeles
Research Areas
Cellular mechanisms of memory storage; developmental psychobiology
My laboratory is examining structural changes in nerve cells in association with learning and the cellular mechanisms through which they arise. Learning and stimulation-rich housing environments increase dendrite and synapse numbers in brain regions involved in these experiences. Thus, synapse formation seems to encode memory at the cellular level. We use electrophysiological, molecular, morphological, and behavioral approaches to determine how synaptic changes are involved in learning and memory. Since some changes occur only in the developing brain, we are studying the regulation of developmental sensitivity to experience. Also what is the metabolic "cost" of a new synapse in terms of added glia and blood vessels? What signals and processes translate nerve impulse and synaptic activity into nerve cell structure? In what ways are glial cells involved in these processes? For how much of the life span can the brain generate these signals and pay these costs? Our interest in Fragile X mental retardation syndrome began when we discovered that FMRP, the protein missing in this syndrome, was synthesized at synapses in response to neurotransmitter activation of metabotropic receptors. We are working both on mechanisms of synaptic regulation of protein synthesis and on the function of FMRP at the synapse.
Representative Publications
Aldridge, G. M.; Podrebarac, D. M.; Greenough, W. T.; Weiler, I. J., The use of total protein stains as loading controls: An alternative to high-abundance single-protein controls in quantitative immunoblotting. Journal of Neuroscience Methods 2008, 172, 250-254.
Kim, S. H.; Markham, J. A.; Weiler, I. J.; Greenough, W. T., Aberrant early-phase ERK inactivation impedes neuronal function in fragile X syndrome. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America 2008, 105, (11), 4429-4434.
Weng, N.; Weiler, I. J.; Berry-Kravis, E. M.; Greenough, W. T., Early-phase ERK activation as a biomarker for metabolic status in fragile x syndrome. American Journal of Medical Genetics 2008.
Greenough, W. T.; McConnaughay, P. J.; Kesan, J. P., Defining Values for Research and Technology: the University's Changing Role. Bowman and Littlefield: Plymouth, UK, 2007.
Gunsalus, C. K.; Bruner, E. M.; Burbules, N. C.; Dash, L.; Finkin, M.; Goldberg, J. P.; Greenough, W. T.; Miller, G. A.; Pratt, M. G.; Iriye, M.; Aronson, D., The Illinois White Paper - Improving the system for protecting human subjects: Counteracting IRB "mission creep". Qualitative Inquiry 2007, 13, (5), 617-649.
Kleim, J. A.; Markham, J. A.; Vij, K.; Freese, J. L.; Ballard, D. H.; Greenough, W. T., Motor learning induces astrocytic hypertrophy in the cerebellar cortex. Behavioural Brain Research 2007, 178, (2), 244-249.
Klintsova, A. Y.; Helfer, J. L.; Calizo, L. H.; Dong, W. K.; Goodlett, C. R.; Greenough, W. T., Persistent impairment of hippocampal neurogenesis in young adult rats following early postnatal alcohol exposure. Alcoholism-Clinical and Experimental Research 2007, 31, (12), 2073-2082.
Grossman AW, Aldridge GM, Weiler IJ, and Greenough WT. 2006. and Local protein synthesis and spine morphogenesis: Fragile X syndrome and beyond. J. Neurosci. 26(27):7151-7155.
Grossman A.W., Elisseou N.M., McKinney B.C., and Greenough W.T. 2006. Hippocampal pyramidal cells in adult Fmr1 knockout mice exhibit an immature-appearing profile of dendritic spines. Brain Res. 1084:160-166.
Gunsalus CK, Bruner EM, Burbules NC, Dash L, Finkin M, Goldberg JP, Greenough WT, Miller GA, and Pratt MG. 2006. IRBs: Going too far or not far enough? Response. Science 313:1388-1389.
Gunsalus CK, Bruner EM, Burbules NC, Dash L, Finkin M, Goldberg JP, Greenough WT, Miller GA, and Pratt MG Mission creep in the IRB world. 2006. Science 312:1441-1441.
Kim SH, Dong WK, Weiler IJ, and Greenough WT. 2006. Fragile X mental retardation protein shifts between polyribosomes and stress granules after neuronal injury by arsenite stress or in vivo hippocampal electrode insertion. J Neurosci 26(9) :2413-2418.
Additional Information
Related Research (By Area):
Aging
Cell Signaling and Communication
Development
Learning, Memory, and Plasticity
Neurological and Psychiatric Conditions
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