EN
The brain plasticity is a re-organization of the neuronal and synaptic networks that allows for changes in response to incoming environmental stimuli. Pathological forms of neuronal plasticity underlie the multiple neuropsychiatric disorders like depression. Clinical observations on the efficacy of antidepressants targeting serotonergic system strongly suggest that serotonin and its receptors play a pivotal role in modulation of pathological plasticity. It is known that matrix metalloproteinase-9 is one of the most important biomarker in depression and polymorphism in this protein affect bipolar disorder. We have recently shown that MMP-9, having an established role in synaptic plasticity, influences dendritic morphology in a similar way to that obtained after the 5-HT7 receptor stimulation, e.g. it induces formation of long, thin dendritic spines. It is also known that stimulation of 5-HT7 receptor leads to activation of small Rho GTPase – Cdc42 in fibroblast cell line and in neurons. In this work we investigate whether MMP-9 substrate represents a novel downstream effector of 5-HT7 receptor. Our results indicate that stimulation of the 5-HT7 receptor increases MMP-9 activity toward its synaptic substrates and results in activation of small Rho GTPases.