Synaptic Plasticity Research Group

Original Research Articles

• Kanhema, T., Parrock, K., Patil, S., Holm-Kaczmarek, D., Hallin, E., Ludwiczak, J., Szczepankiewicz, A.A., Pauzin, F.P., Mahboob, A., Szum, A., Ishizuka, Y., Dunin-Horkawicz, S., Kursula, P., Wilczynski, G., *Magalska, A., and *Bramham, C.R. (2025) ARC/ARG3.1 binds the nuclear polyadenylate-binding protein RRM and regulates neuronal activity-dependent formation of nuclear speckles. Cell Reports, 44, 115525. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.celrep.2025.115525.
• Gumińska, N., Pauzin, F.P., Kuźniewska, B., Miłek, J., Wardaszka, P., Krawczyk, P.S., Mroczek, S., Jeleń, S., Pagenhart, P.U., *Bramham, C.R., *Dziembowski, A., *Dziembowska, M. (2025) The polyadenylation landscape after in vivo long-term potentiation in the rat brain. RNA. doi:10.1261/rna.080485.125RNA 2025. rna.080485.125
• Kute, P.M., Pauzin, F.P., Labun, K., *Bramham, C.R., and *Valen, E. (2025)
  Transcriptome-wide mapping of small ribosomal subunits elucidates scanning mechanisms of translation initiation in the mammalian brain. Communications Biology, 8:1399; doi.org/10.1038/s42003-025-08804-3
• Baldinotti, R., Pauzin, F. P., Fevang, H., Ishizuka, Y., and Bramham, C. R. (2025). A nanobody-based proximity ligation assay detects constitutive and stimulus-regulated native Arc/Arg3.1 oligomers in hippocampal neuronal dendrites. Molecular Neurobiology, 62 (4):3973-3990. 
  https://doi.org/10.1007/s12035-024-04508-7 
• Potenza, M.L., Blankvoort, S., Carvalho, M.M., Grimstvedt, J.S., Di Maria, V., Moan, K., Nair, R.R., Flatset, M.S., Zhang, Q., Thomas, L.F., Pauzin, F.P., Da Silva Mazzarini Baldinotti, R., Quattrocolo, G., Bramham, C.R., Sætrom, P., Witter, M.P., and Kentros, C.G. (2024) Generation of an enhancer-driven gene expression viral tool specific to dentate granule cell-types through direct hippocampal injection. Front. Neurosci., 18:1274174. doi: 10.3389/fnins.2024.1274174
• Godoy Muñoz, J.M., Neset, L., Markússon, S., Weber, S., Krokengen, O.C., Sutinen, A., Christakou, E., Lopez, A.J., Zhang, H., Bramham, C.R., & Kursula, P. (2024) Structural characterization of two nanobodies targeting the ligand-binding pocket of human Arc.  PLoS One, 19, e0300453. https://dx.plos.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0300453
• Patil, S., Chalkiadaki, K., Mergiya, T.F, Krimbacher, K., Amorim, I.S., Akerkar, S., Gkogkas, C.G., and Bramham, C.R. eIF4E phosphorylation recruits β-catenin to mRNA cap and promotes Wnt pathway translation in dentate gyrus LTP maintenance (2023) iScience, 26(5), 106649. 
  https://doi.org/10.1016/j.isci.2023.106649
• Mergiya, T.F., Gundersen, J.E.T., Kanhema, T., Brighter, G., Ishizuka, Y., and Bramham, C.R. (2023) Detection of Arc/Arg3.1 oligomers in rat brain: constitutive and synaptic activity-evoked dimer expression in vivo. Front. Mol. Neurosci. Vol 16, doi: 10.3389/fnmol.2023.1142361
• Avallone. M., Pardo, J., Mergiya, T.F., Rajova, J. Räsänen, A., Davidsson, M., Åkerblom, M., Quintino, L., Kumar, D., Bramham, C.R., and Björklund, T. (2023) Visualizing Arc protein dynamics and localization in the mammalian brain using adeno-associated virus-mediated in situ gene labeling. Front. Mol. Neurosci. Vol 16, doi:10.3389/fnmol.2023.1140785. 
• Ishizuka, Y., Mergiya, T.F. Baldinotti, R., Xu, J., Hallin, E.I., Markússon, S., Kursula, P., and Bramham, C.R. (2022). Development and Validation of Arc Nanobodies: New Tools for Probing Arc Dynamics and Function. Neurochem Res 47, 2656–2666 https://doi.org/10.1007/s11064-022-03573-5.
• Markússon, S, Hallin, E.I., Bustad, H.J., Raasakka, A., Xu, J., Muruganandam, G., Loris, R., Martinez, A., Bramham, C.R. and Kursula, P. (2022). High-affinity anti-Arc nanobodies provide tools for structural and functional studies. PLoS ONE 17(6): e0269281. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0269281
• Berentsen, B., Patil, S., Rønnestad, K., Goff, K. M., Pajak, M., Simpson, T. I., Wibrand, K., & Bramham, C. R. (2020). MicroRNA-34a acutely regulates synaptic efficacy in the adult dentate gyrus in vivo. Molecular Neurobiology, 57(3), 1432–1445. https://doi.org/10.1007/s12035-019-01816-1
• Ishizuka, Y. and Bramham, C.R. A simple DMSO-based method for cryopreservation of primary hippocampal and cortical neurons. (2020) J. Neuroscience Methods, 333 108678. 10.1016/j.jneumeth.2019.108578.
• Eriksen, M. S., Nikolaienko, O., Hallin, E. I., Grødem, S., Bustad, H. J., Flydal, M. I., O’Connell, R., Hosokawa, T., Lascu, D., Akerkar, S., Cuéllar, J. Chambers, J.J.,  Muruganandam, G., Loris, R., Kanhema, T., Hayashi, Y., Stratton, M.M., Valpuesta, J.M., Kursula P., Martinez, A., and Bramham, C. R. (2019). Molecular determinants of Arc oligomerization and formation of virus-like capsids. BioRxiv, 667956. https://doi.org/10.1101/667956.  
• Berentsen B, Patil S, Wibrand K, Goff KM, Pajak M, Simpson IT, and Bramham CR. (2019) microRNA-34a acutely regulates synaptic efficacy in the adult dentate gyrus in vivo. Molecular Neurobiology,  Doi: 10.1007/s12035-019-01816-1
• Hallin EI, Eriksen MS, Baryshnikov S, Nikolaienko O, Grødem S, Hosokawa T, Hayashi Y, Bramham CR, Kursula P. Structure of monomeric full-length ARC sheds light on molecular flexibility, protein interactions, and functional modalities.
  J Neurochem. 2018 Jul 20. doi: 10.1111/jnc.14556. [Epub ahead of print]
  PMID:30028513
• Nikolaienko O, Eriksen MS, Patil S, Bito H, Bramham CR (2017) Stimulus-evoked ERK-dependent phosphorylation of activity-regulated cytoskeleton-associated protein (Arc) regulates its neuronal subcellular localization. Neuroscience 360:68–80. doi: 10.1016/j.neuroscience.2017.07.026.
• Myrum, C., Soulé, J., Bittins, M., Cavagnini, K., Eriksen, M.S., Goff, K., Ziemek, S., Patil, S., Szum, A., Nair, R.R. and Bramham, C.R. (2017) Arc interacts with the integral ER protein, calnexin. Frontiers Cell Neurosci. doi.org/10.3389/fncel.2017.00294.
• Myrum, C., Nikolaienko, O. Bramham, C.R. Haavik, J., Zayats, T. Implication of the APP gene in intellectual abilities. (2017) J Alz Dis. 59(2):723-735. doi: 10.3233/JAD-170049.
• Gozdz, A., Nikolaienko, O., Urbanska, M., Cymerman, I.A., Sitkiewicz, E., Dadlez, M., Bramham. C.R., and Jaworski, J (2017) GSK3α and GSK3β phosphorylate Arc and regulate its degradation. Front Mol Neurosci. doi: 10.3389/fnmol.2017.00192
• Marti, A.R., Patil., S., Mrdalj, J., Meerlo, P., Skrede, S., Pallesen, S., Pedersen, T.T., Bramham, C.R., and Grønli, J. (2017) No escaping the rat race: Simulated night shift work alters the time-of-day variation in BMAL1 translational activity in the prefrontal cortex. Front Neural Circuits, 11:70. doi: 10.3389/fncir.2017.00070
• Nair RR, Patil S, Tiron A, Kanhema TW, Panja D, Schiro L, Parobczak K, Wilczynski G, Bramham CR (2017) Dynamic Arc SUMOylation and selective interaction with F-actin binding protein drebrin A in LTP consolidation in vivo. Frontiers in Synaptic Neuroscience (2017). doi:10.3389/fnsyn.2017.00008.
• J.L.V. Maag, D.C. Kaczorowski, D. Panja, T.J. Peters, C.R. Bramham, K. Wibrand, M.E. Dinger, Widespread promoter methylation of synaptic plasticity genes in long-term potentiation in the adult brain in vivo, BMC Genomics. 18 (2017) 250. doi:10.1186/s12864-017-3621-x
• Kuipers, S., Trentani, A., Tiron, A, Mao, X., Kuhl, D., and Bramham, C.R.  (2016) BDNF-induced LTP is associated with rapid Arc-dependent enhancement in adult hippocampal neurogenesis. Scientific Reports, 2016; 6: 21222
• Maag, J.L.V., Panja,D., Sporild, I, Patil, S., Kaczorowski, D.C., *Bramham, C.R., *Dinger, M., and *Wibrand, K. (2015) Dynamic expression of long noncoding RNAs and repeat elements in synaptic plasticity. Frontiers in Neuroscience. 2015 Oct 1;9:351
• Myrum C, Giddaluru S, Jacobsen K, Espeseth T, Nyberg L, Lundervold A J, Haavik J, Nilsson L, Reinvang I, Steen V M, Johansson S, Wibrand K, *Le Hellard S, and *Bramham C R. (2015) Common variants in the ARC gene are not associated with cognitive abilities. Brain and Behavior, doi: 10.1002/brb3.376.
• Myrum,C., Baumann, A., Bustad, H.J., Flydal, M.I., Mariaule,V., Alvira, S., Cuéllar, J., Soulé, J., Valpuesta J.M., Márquez, J.A., Martinez, A., and Bramham,C.R. (2015) Arc is a flexible modular protein capable of reversible self-oligomerization. Biochem J. 2015 May 15;468(1):145-58
• Panja, D., Kenney, J.W., D’Andrea, L., Zalfa, F., Vedeler, A., Wibrand, K., Fukunaga, R., Bagni, C., Proud, C.G., and Bramham, C.R. (2014). Two-stage translational control of dentate gyrus LTP consolidation is mediated by sustained BDNF-TrkB signaling to MNK. Cell Rep. 9, 1430–1445.
• Pai, B., Siripornmongcolchai, T., Berentsen, B., Pakzad, A., Vieuille, C., Pallesen, S., Pajak, M., Simpson, T.I., Armstrong, J.D., Wibrand, K., and Bramham, C.R. (2014). NMDA receptor-dependent regulation of miRNA expression and association with Argonaute during LTP in vivo. Front. Cell. Neurosci. 7, 1–15.
• Wibrand, K., Pai, B., Siripornmongcolchai, T, Bittins, M., Berentsen, B., Ofte, M.L,  Weigel, A., Skaftnesmo, K.O., and Bramham C.R. (2012) MicroRNA regulation of the synaptic plasticity related gene Arc. PLoS ONE 7(7): e41688.
• Soule J, Alme MN, Myrum C, Schubert M, Kanhema T, Bramham CR (2012) Balancing Arc synthesis, mRNA decay, and proteasomal degradation: maximal protein expression triggered by REM sleep-like bursts of muscarinic cholinergic receptor stimulation. J Biological Chemistry, 287(26): 22354-66.
• Wibrand, K., Panja, D., Tiron, A., Ofte, M.L., Skaftnesmo, K. Sohn-Lee, C., Pena, J., Tuschl, T. and Bramham, C.R. (2010) Differential regulation of mature and precursor microRNA expression by NMDAR and metabotropic glutamate receptor expression activation during LTP in the dentate gyrus in vivo. Eur J Neurosci 31: 636-645.

Review Articles

• Eriksen M.S. and Bramham C.R. (2022) Molecular physiology of Arc/Arg3.1: The oligomeric state hypothesis of synaptic plasticity. Acta Physiologica, e13886. https://doi.org/10.1111/apha.13886
• Chalkiadaki, K., Kouloulia, S., Bramham, C.R., and Gkogkas, C (2020) Regulation of protein synthesis by eIF4E in the brain. In The Oxford Handbook of Neuronal Protein Synthesis pp 1–22. 10.1093/oxfordhb/9780190686307.013.12
• Zhang, H. and Bramham, C.R. (2020) Bidirectional dysregulation of AMPA receptor-mediated synaptic transmission and plasticity in brain disorders. Front Synaptic Neurosci. 10.3389/fnsyn.2020.00026.
• Nikolaienko O, Patil S, Eriksen MS, Bramham CR. (2018) Arc protein: a flexible hub for synaptic plasticity and cognition.Semin Cell Dev Biol. 2018 May;77:33-42. doi: 10.1016/j.semcdb.2017.09.006. Epub 2017 Sep 7. Review.PMID:28890419
• Bramham, C.R., Jensen, K, and Proud, CG. (2016) Tuning specific translation in cancer metastasis and synaptic memory: control at the MNK-eIF4E axis.  Trends in Biochemistry, 41: 847-858.
• Panja, D., and Bramham, C. R. (2014). BDNF mechanisms in late LTP formation: a synthesis and breakdown. Neuropharmacology, 76: 664-676.
• Grønli, J., Soulé, J., and Bramham, C.R. (2014). Sleep and protein synthesis-dependent synaptic plasticity: impacts of sleep loss and stress. Front. Behav. Neurosci. 7, 1–18.
• Bramham CR, Alme MN, Bittins M, Kuipers SD, Nair RR, Pai B, Panja D, Schubert M, Soule J, Tiron A, Wibrand K (2010); The Arc of synaptic memory. Exp Brain Res 200:125-140.
• Bramham, C.R.  (2008) Local protein synthesis, actin dynamics, and LTP consolidation. Curr Opin Neurobiol. 18: 524-531.
• Bramham, C.R. and Wells D. G. (2007) Dendritic mRNA: transport, translation, and function. Nature Rev Neurosci, 8: 776-789.