Andrzej Wieraszko

Professor, Department of Biology


E-mail: wieraszko@postbox.csi.cuny.edu
Building 6S - Room 324
College of Staten Island/CUNY
2800 Victory Blvd.
Staten Island, NY 10314
phone: (718) 982-3941
fax: (718) 982-3852
 

M.A. Warsaw University, Warsaw, Poland, 1969
Ph.D. Nencki Institute of Experimental Biology, Warsaw, Poland, 1975
Postdoctoral training: University of California Irvine, Department of Psychobiology, Dr Lynch laboratory, 1977- 1979
Second Ph.D. Nencki Institute of Experimental Biology, Warsaw, Poland, 1983

Research: The Molecular Mechanisms Regulating Memory

    My research interest is focused on the biochemical and electrophysiological mechanisms of synaptic plasticity represented by a long-lasting amplification of synaptic efficiency. One of the types of synaptic plasticity is called long-term potentiation (LTP). LTP is believed to represent a neuronal process underlying memory. As a model for my study I use brain slices, which kept for several hours in vitro, maintain several mechanisms of synaptic plasticity including LTP. My specific interests are concentrated in four areas: 1) The role of ATP in synaptic transmission and synaptic plasticity. We found that ATP is released from stimulated brain slices and exogenously applied ATP is able to induce LTP. These results indicate that extracellular ATP plays a very important role in regulation of synaptic efficiency. 2) The role of LTP in the avian spatial orientation. We were the first to describe LTP in the slices obtained from avian hippocampus. Hippocampus is a structure responsible for spatial orientation both, in birds and mammals. Our current research is concentrated on the comparative studies of different forms of synaptic plasticity in the hippocampus of homing and non-homing pigeons. Our hypothesis is that these anatomical differences related to differences in the behavior (very poor spatial orientation of non-homing pigeons versus an excellent orientation of homing pigeon) are also represented at the cellular level in the hippocampus. 3) The influence of static magnetic fields on the nervous system. Epidemiological studies have suggested that exposure to electromagnetic fields generating by alternating current may have adverse biological effects. However very little is known about the effect of static magnetic fields on biological systems. Our studies revealed that static magnetic fields, modulating the level of intracellular calcium, influence neuronal activity recorded in vitro. 4) The modulation of neuronal activity by melatonin. The hormone melatonin is an important modulator of circadian rhythms in different organisms. We determined that melatonin, interacting with its receptors is able to depress neuronal activity in the hippocampus. It was an important observation indicating that melatonin, although regulated by circadian structures, may by itself influence brain regions which are outside of the pineal-hypothalamus circuit. Since the level of melatonin can be controlled by outside environment, this hormone can be considered as powerful messenger conveying the messages from the outside environment to hippocampal neurons modulating the mechanisms of memory occurring in the hippocampus. The regulation of these processes by melatonin is currently under investigation.

Selected Publications:

El-Sherif, Y., Wieraszko, A., Banerjee, P., Penington, N.J. ATP modulates Na channel gating and induces a non-selective cation
current in a neuronal hippocampal cell line. Brain Research , 904 (2001) 307-317.

Hogan, M., El-Sherif, Y., Wieraszko, A., The modulation of neuronal activity by melatonin: in vitro studies on mouse hippocampal slices. J.Pineal Res., 30 (2001) 87-96.

Wieraszko, A. Reply to comments on " Dantrolene modulates the influence of steady magnetic fields on hippocampal evoked potentials invitro". Bioelectromagnetics, 22 (2001) 217.

Lopes, G.F., Wieraszko, A., El-Sherif, Y., Clarke, M. The trans-labilization of nitric oxide in Ru complexes by C-bound imidazoles.
Inorganica Chimica Acta, 45 (2001) 1-8.

Wieraszko, A. Clarke, M.J., Lang, D.R., Lopes, L.G.F., Franco, D.W. The influence of NO-containing ruthenium complexes on mouse hippocampal evoked potentials in vitro. Life Sci., 68 (2001)1535-1544.

Lang, D.R., Davis, J.A., Lopes, L.G.F., Ferro, A.A., Vasconcellos, L.C.G., Franco, D.W., Tfouni, E., Wieraszko, A., A controlled NO- releasing compound: synthesis, molecular structure, spectroscopy, electrochemistry, and chemical reactivity of R,R,S,-trans-
[RuCl(NO)(cyclam)2+(1,4,8,11-tetraclotetrad-ecane)]. Inorg. Chem., 39 (2000) 2294-3000.

Wieraszko, A. Dantrolene modulates the influence of steady magnetic fields on hippocampal evoked potentials in
vitro. Bioelectromagnetics, 21 (2000) 175-182.

El-Sherif, Y., Singh, N., Kahn, T., Wieraszko, A., The effect of glutamate uptake inhibitors on hippocampal evoked potentials, invitro. Acta Neurobiol. Exp., 59 (1999) 75-87

Ehrlich, Y.H., Hogan, M.V. Pawlowska, Z., Wieraszko, A., Katz, E., Sobocki, T., Babinska, A., and Kornecki, E. Surface Protein Phosphorylation by Ecto-protein Kinases: Role in Neuronal Development and Synaptic Plasticity; In: Molecular and Cellular Mechanisms of Neuronal Plasticity: Basic and Clinical Implications. Plenum Press, New York, London (1998) pp. 51-72.

Shapiro, E., Wieraszko, A. Comparative, in vitro, studies of hippocampal tissue from homing and non-homing pigeon. Brain Research , 725 (1996) 199-206.

Chen, W., Wieraszko,A., Hogan, M., Yang, H-A., Kornecki, E., Ehrlich, Y. Surface protein phosphorylation by ecto-protein kinase-C is required for the maintenance of long-term potentiation. Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci., 93/16 (1996) 8688-8693.

Kornecki, E., Wieraszko, A., Chan, J., Ehrlich, Y. Platelet activating factor (PAF) in memory formation: role as a retrograde messenger in long-term potentiation. J. Lipid Med.and Cell Signalling, 14 (1996)115-226.

Wieraszko,A. Extracellular ATP as a neurotransmitter: its role in synaptic plasticity in the hippocampus. Acta Neurobiol. Ex ., (1996) 56 (2) 637-648.

Trabulsi, R., Pawlowski, B., Wieraszko, A. The influence of magnetic fields on the mouse hippocampal evoked potentials in vitro.
Brain Research, 728 (1996)135-139.

Wieraszko, A. Avian Hippocampus as a Model to Study Spatial Orientation-Related Synaptic Plasticity: In: Molecular and Cellular Mechanisms of Neuronal Plasticity: Basic and Clinical Implications. Plenum Press, New York, London (1998) pp. 107-129

Li, G., Wieraszko, A. Dual effect of sodium nitroprusside on hippocampal potentials recorded from mouse hippocampal slices. Brain Research, 667 (1994) 33-38.

Wieraszko, A. Ehrlich, Y. On the role of extracellular ATP in Long-Term Potentiation in the hippocampus. J. Neurochem.,
63(1994)1731-1738.

Wieraszko, A., and Seyfried, T.N., Influence of Audiogenic Seizures on Synpatic Facilitation in Mouse Hippocampal Slices isMediated by N-Methyl-D-Aspartate Receptors. Epilepsia 34 (1993) 979-984.