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Faculty Steven J. Potashner
Professor of Neuroscience
sjp9713@neuron.uchc.edu
Areas of interest: Synaptic and transmitter biochemistry and
plasticity in the in the auditory parts of the adult brain. Hearing
loss, which affects over 28 million people in the U.S.A., is accompanied
by additional pathological symptoms, such as tinnitus (phantom sound),
misperception of loudness and degraded ability to detect meaningful
sounds in a noisy environment. An effective treatment for these symptoms
has yet to be established. Since altered synaptic signaling is thought
to generate these symptoms, we focus on auditory neural pathways to
understand how hearing impairment alters synaptic biochemistry and
structure. Biochemical, molecular and immunohistochemical methods (A)
identify transmitters, receptors, regulatory and cell signaling
pathways, and (B) determine the regulatory and signal transduction
mechanisms underlying transmitter, receptor and synaptic plasticities
induced by hearing loss. Neuroanatomical methods define altered synaptic
organization. We find that in adults, surgical or noise lesions of the
cochlea that produce hearing loss reorganize synaptic connections in
brain auditory structures. Some of the consequences include synaptic
pruning, synaptogenesis, an increased strength of excitatory
transmission and deficient inhibitory transmission. These plasticities
appear to be driven by signal transduction pathways which alter
regulatory mechanisms.
Publications
Selected Publications:
Zhang J, Suneja SK, Potashner SJ. (2004) Protein kinase A and
calcium/calmodulin-dependent protein kinase II regulate glycine and GABA
release in auditory brain stem nuclei. J Neurosci Res. Feb
1;75(3):361-70.
Muly SM, Gross JS, Potashner SJ. (2004) Noise trauma alters
D-[3H]aspartate release and AMPA binding in chinchilla cochlear nucleus.
J Neurosci Res. Feb 15;75(4):585-96.
Zhang J, Suneja SK, Potashner SJ. (2003) Protein kinase A and
calcium/calmodulin-dependent protein kinase II regulate D-[3H]aspartate
release in auditory brain stem nuclei. J Neurosci Res. Oct
1;74(1):81-90.
Suneja SK, Potashner SJ. (2003) ERK and SAPK signaling in auditory
brainstem neurons after unilateral cochlear ablation. J Neurosci Res.
Jul 15;73(2):235-45.
Zhang J, Suneja SK, Potashner SJ. (2003) Protein kinase C regulation
of glycine and gamma-aminobutyric acid release in brain stem auditory
nuclei. Exp Neurol. Jul;182(1):75-86.
Suneja SK, Potashner SJ. (2002) TrkB levels in the cochlear nucleus
after unilateral cochlear ablation:correlations with post-lesion
plasticity. Brain Res. Dec 13;957(2):366-8.
Muly SM, Gross JS, Morest DK, Potashner SJ. (2002) Synaptophysin in
the cochlear nucleus following acoustic trauma. Exp Neurol.
Sep;177(1):202-21.
Zhang, J., Suneja, S.K. and Potashner, S.J. (2002) Protein kinase C
regulates D-[3H]aspartate release in auditory brain stem nuclei. Exptl.
Neurol., 175, 245-256.
Potashner S.J., Suneja S.K. and Benson C.G. (2000) Altered
glycinergic synaptic activities in guinea pig brain stem auditory nuclei
after unilateral cochlear ablation. Hearing Res., 147, 125-136. |
