Department of
Psychological and Brain Sciences

• Neuroscience

addiction, cannabinoid research

The unifying concept of neuroplasticity is not only central for our understanding of how the healthy human brain functions, but also helps us to gain deeper insights into the neurobiological mechanisms of brain disorders. The brain can be viewed as a plasticity machine, and its incessant dynamic changes taking place at the molecular, cellular and circuit levels are all optimized to adapt to the ever-changing environment. One of the most influential recent breakthroughs in brain research is the recognition that drugs of abuse simply hijack these normal plasticity processes and turn them into abnormal molecular, structural and functional alterations manifesting as maladaptive behavioral patterns and addiction. Our laboratory aspires to elucidate novel physiological and pathophysiological forms of brain plasticity mechanisms with a specific focus on signaling pathways, cell types and brain circuits involved in addiction. To achieve this goal, we propose to use a unique multi-disciplinary approach by combining state-of-the-art nanoscale molecular, anatomical and electrophysiological technologies with mesoscale functional brain imaging and behavioral models of addiction. Ultimately, this activity is envisaged to help gain a better understanding of the neurobiology of addiction and to contribute to the identification of novel treatment approaches.

Katona I, Sperlágh B, Sik A, Kőfalvi A, Vizi ES, Mackie K and Freund TF (1999) Presynaptically located CB1 cannabinoid receptors regulate GABA release from axon terminals of specific hippocampal interneurons. The Journal of Neuroscience, 19: 4544-4558.

Katona I, Urbán GM, Wallace M, Ledent C, Jung KM, Piomelli D, Mackie K and Freund TF (2006) Molecular composition of the endocannabinoid system at glutamatergic synapses. The Journal of Neuroscience, 24:5268-5237.

Katona I and Freund TF (2008) Endocannabinoid signaling as a synaptic circuit breaker in neurological disease. Nature Medicine, 14:923-930.

Ludányi A, Erőss L, Czirják S, Vajda P, Halász P, Watanabe M, Palkovits M, Maglóczky Z, Freund TF and Katona I (2008) Downregulation of the CB1 cannabinoid receptor and related molecular elements of the endocannabinoid system in epileptic human hippocampus. The Journal of Neuroscience, 28:2976-2990.

Katona I and Freund TF (2012) Multiple functions of endocannabinoid signaling in the brain. Annual Review of Neuroscience, 35:529-558.

Dudok B, Barna L, Ledri M, Szabó SI, Szabadits E, Pintér B, Woodhams SG, Henstridge CM, Balla GY, Nyilas R, Varga C, Lee SH, Matolcsi M, Cervenak J, Kacskovics I, Watanabe M, Sagheddu C, Melis M, Pistis M, Soltesz I and Katona I (2015) Cell-specific STORM superresolution imaging reveals nanoscale organization of cannabinoid signaling. Nature Neuroscience, 18:75-86.

Barna L, Dudok B, Miczán V, Horváth A, László ZI and Katona I (2016) Correlated confocal and super-resolution imaging by VividSTORM. Nature Protocols, 11:163-183.

*Frau R, *Miczan V, Traccis F, Aroni S, Pongor C, Saba P, Serra V, Sagheddu C, Fanni S, Congiu M, Devoto P, Cheer J, *Katona I and *Melis M (2019) Prenatal THC exposure produces a hyperdopaminergic phenotype rescued by pregnenolone. Nature Neuroscience, 22:1975-1985.

László Z, Lele Z, Zöldi M, Miczán V, Mógor F, Simon GM, Mackie K, Kacskovics I, Cravatt BF and Katona I (2020) ABHD4-mediated developmental anoikis safeguards the embryonic brain. Nature Communications, 11:4363.

Prokop S, Ábrányi-Balogh P, Barti B, Vámosi M, Zöldi M, Barna L, Urbán GM, Tóth AD, Dudok B, Egyed A, Deng H, Leggio GM, Hunyady L, van der Stelt M, Keserű GM and Katona I (2021) PharmacoSTORM nanoscale pharmacology reveals cariprazine binding on Islands of Calleja granule cells. Nature Communications, 12:6505.