Xin-Ming Ma
Assistant Professor of Neuroscience
Ma@nso.uchc.edu
Tel: 860-679-7959

Ph.D. Beijing University School of Medicine
Neuroscience Graduate Program
Accepting Lab Rotation Students: Spring 08, Fall 08.

Area of Interest: Synaptogenesis and spine plasticity in hippocampal neurons; estrogen hormones and spine plasticity; Stress, neuronal plasticity and hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis.

Project description: The first project is focused on determining the mechanisms through which Kalirin7 causes an increase in spine density in hippocampal neurons. Kalirin 7, a major isoform of Kalirin, is localized to the postsynaptic side of excitatory synapses. Kalirin 7 causes an increase in spine density when over-expressed and the number of dendritic spines decreases when the levels of endogenous Kalirin 7 are reduced in hippocampal neurons. The second project studies the molecular mechanisms through which estrogen regulates synaptic plasticity in hippocampal neurons. The focus is on how estrogen alters Kalirin 7 expression and other synaptic proteins important in regulating spine formation and synaptogenesis. The last project is to study whether stress can differently modify brain neurons and the HPA axis in wildtype and Kalirin 7 knockout mice.

Selected Publications:
1. Ma X-M*, Wang YP, Ferraro F, Mains RE, EipperBA. Kalirin-7 Is an Essential Component of both Shaft and Spine Excitatory Synapses in Hippocampal Interneurons. J Neuroscience 28(3):711-724, 2008.
2. Ferraro F, Ma XM, Sobota JA, Eipper BA, Mains RE. Kalirin/Trio RhoGEFs Regulate a Novel Step in Secretory Granule Maturation. Mol Biol Cell 18(12):4813-4825 2007.
3. Niciu MJ, Ma X-M, El Meskini R, Pachter JS, Mains RE, Eipper BA. Altered ATP7A expression and other compensatory responses in a murine model of Menkes disease. Neurobiol Dis. 27(3):278-291, 2007.
4. Niciu MJ, Ma X-M, El Meskini R, Ronnett GV, Mains RE, Eipper BA. Developmental changes in the expression of ATP7A during a critical period in postnatal neurodevelopment. Neuroscience 139(3):947-964, 2006
5. Ma X-M*, Eipper BA and Mains RE. Expression of Trio, a member of the DBL family of Rho GEFs in the developing rat brain J Comparative Neurology 482(4):333-348, 2005.
6. Yang SX, Diaz Padilla N, Zhu Q, Ma XM, Sasso D, Prestwood K, Hack CE and Kuchel GA. Estrogen replacement raises rat CRP without evidence of complement activation. Endocrine Research 31(2):121-132, 2005.
7. Ma X-M, Huang JP, Wang Y, Eipper BA and Mains RE. Kalirin, a multifunctional Rho GEF, is necessary for maintenance of hippocamapl pyramidal neuron dendrites and dendritic spines. J Neuroscience 23:10593-10603, 2003.
8. Steveson TC, Ciccotosto GD, Ma X-M, Mueller G, Mains RE, Eipper BA. Atp7a is essential for the function of peptidylglycine ?-amidating monooxygenase in pituitary. Endocrinology 144:188-200, 2003.
9. Grinevich G, Ma X-M, Jirikowski G, Verbalis J, and Aguilera G. Lipopolysaccharide endotoxin potentiates the effect of osmotic stimulation on vasopressin synthesis and secretion in the rat hypothalamus. J Neuroendocrinol 15:141-149, 2003.
10. Ma X-M, Mains RE and Eipper BA. Plasticity in hippocampal peptidergic systems induced by repeated electroconvulsive shock. Neuropsycopharmacology 27(1):55-71, 2002.
11. Grinevich V, Harbuz M, Ma X-M, Jessop D, Tilders F, Lightman SL, and Aguilera G. Hypothalamic pituitary adrenal axis and immune responses to endotoxin in rats with chronic adjuvant-induced arthritis. Experimental Neurology 178:112-123, 2002.
12. Lightman SL, Windle RJ, Ma X-M, Harbuz MS, Shanks NM, Julian MD, Wood SA, Kershaw YM, Ingram CD. Hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal function. Arch Physiol Biochem 110:90-93, 2002.
13. Ma X-M, Johnson R, Mains RE and Eipper BA. Expression of kalirin, a neuronal GDP/GTP exchange factor of the Dbl family, in the central nervous system of the adult rat. J Comparative Neurology 429:388-402, 2001.
14. Ma X-M, Camacho C and Aguilera G. Regulation of corticotrophin releasing hormone (CRH) transcription and CRH mRNA stability by glucocorticoids. Cell Mol Neurobiol 21(5):465-475, 2001.
15. Grinevich V*, Ma X-M*, Verbalis J, Aguilera G. Hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis and hypothalamic-neurohypohyseal responses to restraint or immune challenge in water deprived rats. Experimental Neurology 171 (2):326-341, 2001 (*co-first author).
16. Grinevich V, Ma X-M, Herman JP, Jezova D, Akmayev I, Aguilera G. Effect of repeated lipopolysaccharide administration on tissue cytokine expression and hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis activity in rats. J Neuroendocrinology 13(8):711-723, 2001.
17. Costa AP, Ma X-M, Ingram CD, Lightman SL, Aguilera G. Hypothalamic and amygdaloid corticotropin-releasing hormone (CRH) and CRH receptor-1 mRNA expression in the stress-hyporesponsive late pregnant and early lactating rat. Molecular Brain Research 91(1-2):119-130, 2001.
18. Aguilera G, Lightman SL, Ma X-M. Transcriptional and post-transcriptional regulation of corticotropin releasing hormone and vasopressin expression by stress and glucocorticoids. In: Neural, Endocrine and Molecular Studies, McCarty R, Aguilera G, Kvetnasky R, eds, Gordon and Breach Science publishers, Lausanne, Switzerland, P 226, 2000 .
19. Ma X-M and Aguilera G. Transcriptional responses of the vasopressin and corticotropin-releasing hormone genes to acute and repeated intraperitoneal hypertonic saline injection in rats. Molecular Brain Research 68:129-140, 1999.
20. Ma X-M, Lightman SL and Aguilera G. Vasopressin and corticotrophin-releasing hormone gene responses to novel stress in rats adapted to repeated restraint. Endocrinology 140: 3623-3632,1999.
21. Ma X-M and Aguilera G. Differential regulation of corticotrophin-releasing hormone and arginine vasopressin gene transcription by glucocorticoids. Endocrinology 140:5642-5650, 1999.
22. Tajima T, Ma X-M, Aguilera G. Prenatal dexamethasone treatment does not prevent alternations of the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis in steroid 21-hydroxylase deficiency mice. Endocrinology 40: 3354-3362, 1999.
23. Tajima T, Okada T, Ma X-M, Bornstein S, Ramsey JW and Aguilera G. Gene therapy in adrenal gland: the induction of steroid 21-hydroxylase activity in 21-hydroxylase deficient mice by adenovirus expressing human steroid 21-hydroxylase gene. Gene Therapy 6:1898-1903, 1999.
24. Ma X-M and Lightman SL. The arginine vasopressin and corticotrophin-releasing hormone gene transcription responses to varied frequencies of repeated stress. J. Physiology (Lond) 510: 605-614, 1998.
25. Ma X-M, Levy A and Lightman SL. Emergence of an isolated AVP response to stress following repeated restraint: a study of both AVP and CRH mRNA and hnRNA. Endocrinology 188:4351-4357, 1997.
26. Ma X-M, Levy A and Lightman SL. Rapid changes of heteronuclear RNA for corticotrophin-releasing hormone and arginine vasopressin in response to acute stress. J. Endocrinology 152:81-89,1997.
27. Ma X-M, Levy A and Lightman SL. Rapid changes of heteronuclear RNA for arginine vasopressin but not for corticotrophin releasing hormone in response to acute corticosterone administration. J Neuroendocrinol 9:1-6, 1997.