Peptidergic control of the brain’s stress system modulates anxiety

In a new study published in Science Advances, Dr. Danai Riga and colleagues explored how the brain’s built-in peptidergic systems help regulate its response to stress

Altered spines on memory-encoding neurons in the hippocampus

A study performed by PhD student Panthea Nemat of the Molecular Engrams team led by Dr. Priyanka Rao-Ruiz was recently published in a special issue on “Deciphering the memory engram” in Neurobiology of Learning and Memory in which they describe “Structural synaptic signatures of contextual memory retrieval-reactivated hippocampal engram cells”.

SUPERGLUE consortium, lead by Mark Verheijen and Rogier Min, receives NWO-XL funding

In SUPERGLUE, PI’s at the VU (Mark Verheijen, Priyanka Rao-Ruiz, Natalia Goriounova, Harold MacGillavry) and AUMC (Rogier Min, Erik Bakker, Elga de Vries) will collaborate to investigate how subcellular compartments of the astrocyte control cognitive processing .

Early-life stress and amyloidosis share pathogenic pathways

Collaborative work between the teams of Mark Verheijen (VU-MCN) and Aniko Korosi (UvA-SILS), is recently published in Alzheimer’s and Dementia. The research was mainly performed by Mandy Kater (VU) and Janssen Kotah (UvA), among others, and shows that ‘Early-life stress and amyloidosis share pathogenic pathways involving astrocyte lipid metabolism and the synaptic mitochondrial proteome’.

Mechanisms Of DEMentia (MODEM): connecting the dots

“We all believe in the importance of a different piece of the puzzle.” prof. dr. Guus Smit says when he explains why this consortium was formed together with 20 other researchers. “It’s about connecting the dots, the cohesion between seemingly different processes underlying the development of dementia from different perspectives. That is what we are looking for in Mechanisms Of DEMentia (MODEM). Because that coherence has to be there. There is no other way.”

ZonMW funds multidisciplinary CNCR collaboration

A core problem in several dementias is the inability to form new memories and gradual loss of old memories. Funded by a ZonMW open competition grant, the teams of Wiep Scheper (Amsterdam UMC Human Genetics/FGA), Priyanka Rao-Ruiz (VU MCN) and Michel van den Oever (VU MCN) will collaborate to obtain mechanistic insight into memory formation and persistence and how this is disturbed in dementia.

Astrocyte-synapse proximity determines memory strength

Aina Badia-Soteras, together with others of the Neuron-Glia Interaction team and collaborators, has shown that retraction of fine astrocyte processes from the synapse is a regulated process that gates the strength of fear memories. This work is published in Biological Psychiatry

Prevention of microgliosis halts early memory loss in AD

Mandy Kater, together with collaborators of the Memorable consortium, has shown that prevention of microgliosis halts early memory loss in a mouse model of Alzheimer’s disease. This work is published in Brain Behavior and Immunity

Three CNCR researchers each awarded a VIDI grant

Rik van der Kant, Natalia Goriounova and Priyanka Rao-Ruiz, researchers at the Center for Neurogenomics & Cognitive Research at the Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, have been awarded by the Dutch Research Council (NWO) with a Vidi grant worth 800,000 euros.

Identification of neurons that promote compulsive alcohol use

Michel van den Oever and Esther Visser were involved in a study on compulsive alcohol use led by Markus Heilig and Esi Domi at the Linköping University in Sweden. Using the viral-TRAP technique developed by the CNCR Memory Circuits team, they identified a small population of PKC-delta-expressing neurons in the central amygdala that drives footshock-punished alcohol intake. Their findings are published in Science Advances.

Glucocorticoids alter the formation of memory engrams

A collaborative study by members of the Memory Circuits team together with the lab of Harm Krugers and Sylvie Lesuis (UvA) reveals that elevated levels of the stress hormone corticosterone induce an increase in the size of a hippocampal fear engram and this change underlies generalized expression of fear in a neutral environment. Their findings were published in Biological Psychiatry.

Pre-stage of Alzheimer disease neurons characterized

A new study by David Hondius, Frank Koopmans and colleagues provides molecular evidence that so-called granulovacuolar cells are representing the pre-tangle neuronal stage in Alzheimer disease. The study was published in Acta Neuropathologica on January 25, 2021.

Alzheimer Nederland grant to revive silent memories

Memory Circuits Team (Michel van den Oever) and Alzheimer Team (Ronald van Kesteren) join forces to test how hyperactive interneurons affect the formation and reactivation of memory engrams. They receive a 300 k€ grant from Alzheimer Nederland to investigate this.

Discovery of a persistent alcohol-cue memory trace

PhD student Esther Visser and colleagues in the team of Michel van den Oever (MCN) investigated how alcohol memories are stored in the brain and how this contributes to relapse after prolonged abstinence. Their findings were published in Science Advances.

Stitching the Synapse

A new study by Miguel Gonzalez-Lozano (MCN) and colleagues demonstrates how cross-linking mass spectrometry can contribute to the discovery of novel synaptic protein interactions. The study was published in Science Advances on February 19, 2020.

Mechanisms Of DEMentia (MODEM): connecting the dots

Hyperactive interneurons contribute to Alzheimer’s disease

A new study by PhD student Sara Hijazi (MCN) shows that reducing the activity of interneurons in the hippocampus restores memory and delays Alzheimer’s disease progression in mice. The study is published in Molecular Psychiatry.

Novel biological insight into polygenic risk for schizophrenia

A new study by PhD student Martina Rosato (MCN) shows that combined cellular and molecular profiling is able to reveal novel biological insight into the polygenic nature of schizophrenia. The study was published last month in Molecular Psychiatry.

Nature Communications paper for Memory Circuits team

A study performed by PhD students Mariana Matos and Esther Visser in the team of Michel van den Oever reveals that expression of a remote fear memory depends on a small ensemble of neurons in the medial prefrontal that functions as an enduring physical memory trace, or engram.

Novel insight into the molecular engram of aversive memory

A team of researchers from the CNCR (led by Priyanka Rao-Ruiz and Michel van den Oever, MCN lab) and the Erasmus MC (led by Steven Kushner, Dept. of Psychiatry) used a sensitive and unbiased RNA sequencing approach to identify gene expression signatures critical to the storage of long-term memories by sparse ensembles of hippocampal neurons. This collaborative effort was published in Nature Communications.

ZonMw TOP grant for translational Alzheimer’s research

Research team led by Ronald van Kesteren receives 675 k€ to investigate changes in brain activity that can provide new diagnostic markers or treatment targets for early-stage Alzheimer’s disease.

Cell reports paper for Nikhil Pandya

Former PhD student Nikhil Pandya from the teams of Spijker, Li and Smit publishes on the role of the AMPA receptor auxiliary subunit Noelin1

Danai Riga and coauthors receive TOP price @ DNM18

Rewarded for the Science Translational Medicine paper (Riga et al 2017) on the role of ECM in cognitive deficits in a rat depression model

Mariana Matos receives poster prize at DNM 2018

Mariana Matos received a poster prize at the Dutch Neuroscience Meeting (DNM).

Science Translational Medicine paper for Riga, Smit and Spijker

MCN post-doc Danai Riga and PIs Sabine Spijker and Guus Smit present first evidence for a molecular mechanism for the cognitive deficits in depression using a rat model in the 20 December issue of Science Translational Medicine.

eLife paper for CNCR ‘Shisa’ team

The CNCR ‘Shisa’ team presents the characterization of a yet unknown glutamate receptor auxiliary subunit important for learning and memory. Their findings are currently available in the open access journal eLife.

Unforgettable Memories

Fundraiser for Alzheimer Nederland on SBS6 with CNCR teamleader Wiep Scheper

CNCR PhD students win poster prices

Four CNCR PhD students of the MCN department win a poster price at the annual Amsterdam Neuroscience meeting 2017.

PLoS Biology paper for Glia research team

A team effort of Nutabi Camargo, Andrea Goudriaan, Anne-Lieke van Deijk, Mark Verheijen (PI) and collaborators shows that myelination by oligodendrocytes in the CNS requires lipids derived from astrocytes and diet.

PhD defense: 15 May 11:45 (Aula)

Nikhil J. Pandya will defend his thesis ‘Structural and functional characterization of glutamate receptor complexes’.

paper in Glia for Van Deijk en Verheijen

Anne-Lieke van Deijk (PhD student) and Mark Verheijen (PI) show for the first time that astrocyte lipid metabolism is essential for synapse development in vivo.

PhD defense: 16 February 11:45 (Aula)

Danai Riga will defend her thesis “Defeating depression: an integrative preclinical approach”.

Priyanka Rao-Ruiz receives Veni grant

The role of inhibition in shaping hippocampal memory traces
Molecular cell biologist Priyanka Rao-Ruiz aims for a better understanding how we can create so many different memories.

Michel van den Oever receives VIDI grant

Erasing alcohol memories to prevent relapse
NWO awarded Michel van den Oever, team leader of the ‘Memory Circuits’ group at the CNCR, with a Vidi grant of 800.000 euro.

Sabine Spijker receives Vici grant

Sabine Spijker receives 1.5 M€ for her research on depression. ‘This Vici grant allows me discover what is the limit in information processing that is apparent in ‘the prison of depression’.

Biological Psychiatry paper for Lubbers, De Vries and Spijker

MCN PhD-student Bart Lubbers and PIs Taco De Vries and Sabine Spijker present first evidence for a molecular mechanism for relapse to nicotine seeking in the prefrontal cortex in which GABAA receptor trafficking is essential. Their findings are currently available in on-line issue of Biological Psychiatry.