Recent/Current
Research Funding

Klingenstein Fellowship

March of Dimes

National Science
Foundation

Graduate Group Affiliations

Cell and Developmental
Biology

Molecular, Cellular,
and Integrative
Physiology

Neuroscience

Research Interests

Synaptogenesis is a multistep developmental process that relies on several early phases for its realization. Neurons need to produce the tansmitter(s) that will enable them to communicate synaptically with other neuroons or target organs. Axons must grow out and reach the appropriate target cells. our lab is interested on understanding how these early events are shaped by electrical activity.

We are interested in investigating the cellular and molecular mechanisms by which activity controls the development of the nervous system. Different forms of activity are present at early stages of development, substantially before synapse formation, suggesting that neuronal activity participates in early steps of differentiation. Neurotransmitter and neurotransmitter receptor specification, axonal pathfinding, synapse formation and function are some of the aspects of nervous system development we are currently studying.

Our lab works on Xenopus laevis as a model system using a combination of methodologies including confocal microscopy, immunostaining, molecular biology, pharmacology, calcium and voltage sensistive dyes imaging and electrophysiology.

 

Representative Publications

Borodinsky, L.N., Pesce G., Pomata, P.E., Fiszman, M.L. (1997). Neurosteroid modulation of GABA_A receptors in the developing rat brain cortex. Neurochem Int 31:313-317.

Borodinsky, l.N., Fiszman, M.L. (1998). Extracellular potassium concentration regulates proliferation of immature cerebellar granule cells. Dev Brain res 107:43-48.

Fiszman, M.L., Borodinsky, l.N., Sanz, O.P., Sica,R.E.P. (1999). Cu-Zn superoxide dismutase activity in red cells of patients with sporadic amyotrophic lateral sclerosis. J Neurol Sci 162:34:37.

Fiszman, M.L., Borodinsky, L.N., Neale, J.H. (1999). GABA induces proliferation of immature cerebellar granular cells grown in vito. Dev Brain Res 115:1-8.

Borodinsky, L.N., Fiszman, M.L. ( 2001). A single cell model to study changes in neuronal fractal dimension. Methods 24:341-345.

Borodinsky LN, Coso OA, Fiszman ML (2002) Contribution of Ca²⁺-calmodulin-dependent protein kinase II and mitogen-activated protein kinase kinase on neural activity-induced neurite outgrowth and survival of cerebellar granule cells. J Neurochem 80: 1062-1070.

Borodinsky LN, O’Leary D, Neale JH, Vicini S, Coso OA, Fiszman ML (2003) GABA-induced neurite outgrowth of cerebellar granule cells is mediated by GABAA receptor activation, calcium influx and CaMKII and MEK1 pathways. J Neurochem 84: 1411-1420.

Borodinsky LN, Root CM, Cronin J, Sann SB, Gu X, Spitzer NC. (2004) Activity-dependent homeostatic specification of transmitter expression in embryonic neurons. Nature 429: 523-530.

Spitzer NC, Root CM, Borodinsky LN (2004) Orchestrating neuronal differentiation: patterns of Ca²⁺ spikes specify transmitter choice. Trends Neurosci 27: 415-421.

Spitzer NC, Borodinsky LN, Root CM. (2005) Imaging calcium transients in developing Xenopus spinal neurons. In "Imaging in neuroscience and development: A laboratory manual".

Yuste R and Konnerth A, Eds, Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory Press. Spitzer NC, Borodinsky LN, Root CM (2005) Homeostatic activity-dependent paradigm for neurotransmitter specification. Cell Calcium, 37: 417-423.

Borodinsky LN, Spitzer NC (2006) Second messenger pas de deux: The coordinated dance between calcium and cAMP. Sci. STKE, 2006: pe22. Borodinsky LN, Spitzer NC (2007) Activity-Dependent Neurotransmitter-Receptor Matching at the Neuromuscular Junction. PNAS, 104: 335-340.

Borodinsky LN, Spitzer NC (2007) Activity-Dependent Neurotransmitter-Receptor Matching at the Neuromuscular Junction. PNAS, 104: 335-340.

Spitzer NC, Borodinsky LN (2008) Implications of activity-dependent neurotransmitter-receptor matching. Philos. Trans. R. Soc. Lond B Biol Sci, 363: 1393-1399.

 

Recent/Current Teaching

HPH400, Human Physiology

MCP210A, Advanced Physiology