Staff Profile

Roles and Responsibilities

Lecturer
UG, MRes, PhD and postdoc supervisor

Qualifications

Laurea in Biological Sciences, Univ of Milan, Italy, Dr
Postgrad AIRC Fellow: Cell biology & Physiology, Univ. of Milan, Italy

Research Interests

Our research focuses on cellular neuroanatomy and neuronal cell biology, with a particular interest in synaptic structure and function.

1) Investigation of the functional, cellular and molecular mechanisms of synaptic and network activity relevant to the function and localisation of glutamate and glycine receptor proteins and mRNAs in neurons.

2) Characterisation of the physiology and neurochemistry of neuronal networks in various areas of the central nervous system (e.g. hippocampus, neocortex, and cerebellum). In particular, we aim to identify the key properties of neuronal networks in these areas in order to understand their functional roles in normal and pathological states, with reference to, for instance, schizophrenia and epilepsy. 

3) Neuroanatomical and functional characterisation of connections between neurons within networks. Synapses: their structure, spatial location, and regulation with respect to synaptic and neuronal network activity.

The lab research focuses on a multidisciplinary approach: 2D and 3D morphological and immunocytochemical techniques at the light and electron microscopy (TEM, SBFSEM, FIBSEM) levels are combined to electrophysiology and molecular biology. This approach allow us to relate molecular, electrophysiological, and behavioural events to specific anatomical subcellular structures.

Current Work

1) Biology and physiology of neurotransmitter receptors and associated proteins, in particular GluRs and GlyRs:

• role of neurotransmitter receptors (e.g. AMPAR, NMDAR) and associated proteins (e.g. Scribble1, Rph3a) in regulating synaptic structure and function
• targeting and trafficking of neurotransmitter receptors (e.g. AMPAR, GlyR) and their subunit mRNAs, and local protein synthesis in the neuronal dendritic tree

2) Functional and molecular mechanisms responsible for synaptic and neuronal network remodelling,

3) Synapses: their structure, spatial location, and regulation with respect to synaptic and neuronal network activity

• Articles

  • Mackenzie-Gray Scott CA, Parrish RR, Walsh DA, Racca C, Cowell RM, Trevelyan AJ. PV-specific loss of the transcriptional coactivator PGC-1α slows down the evolution of epileptic activity in an acute ictogenic model. Journal of Neurophysiology 2022, 127(1), 86-98.
  • Simon A, Roth A, Sheridan A, Fisek M, Marra V, Racca C, Funke J, Staras K, Hausser M. Ultrastructural readout of in vivo synaptic activity for functional connectomics. BioRxiv 2021.
  • Robert BJA, Moreau MM, Dos Santos Carvalho S, Barthet G, Racca C, Bhouri M, Quiedeville A, Garret M, Atchama B, Shaam Al Abed A, Guette C, Henderson D, Desmedt A, Mulle M, Marighetto A, Montcouquiol M, Sans N. Vangl2 in the Dentate Network Modulates Pattern Separation and Pattern Completion. Cell Reports 2020, 31(10), 107743.
  • Franchini L, Stanic J, Ponzoni L, Mellone M, Carrano N, Musardo S, Zianni E, Olivero G, Marcello E, Pittaluga A, Sala M, Bellone C, Racca C, Di Luca M, Gardoni F. Linking NMDA Receptor Synaptic Retention to Synaptic Plasticity and Cognition. iScience 2019, 19, 927-939.
  • Parrish RR, Grady J, Codadu NK, Trevelyan AJ, Racca C. Simultaneous profiling of activity patterns in multiple neuronal subclasses. Journal of Neuroscience Methods 2018, 303, 16-29.
  • Parrish RR, Codadu NK, Racca C, Trevelyan AJ. Pyramidal cell activity levels affect the polarity of gene transciption changes in interneurons. Journal of Neurophysiology 2018, 120(5), 2358-2367.
  • Parrish RR, Grady J, Codadu NK, Racca C, Trevelyan AJ. Graphical user interface for simultaneous profiling of activity patterns in multiple neuronal subclasses. Data in Brief 2018, 20, 226-233.
  • Stanic J, Mellone M, Napolitano F, Racca C, Zianni E, Minocci D, Ghiglieri V, Thiolat ML, Li Q, Longhi A, DeRosa A, Picconi B, Bezard E, Calabresi P, DiLuca M, Usiello A, Gardoni F. Rabphilin 3A: A novel target for the treatment of levodopa-induced dyskinesia. Neurobiology of Disease 2017, 108, 54-64.
  • Hilal M, Moreau MM, Racca C, Pinheiro VL, Miguel NH, Santoni MJ, Dos Santos Carvalho S, Blanc JM, Abada YSK, Peyroutou R, Medina C, Doat H, Papouin T, Vuillard L, Borg JP, Rachel R, Panatier A, Montcouquiol M, Oliet SHR, Sans N. Activity-Dependent Neuroplasticity Induced by an Enriched Environment Reverses Cognitive Deficits in Scribble Deficient Mouse. Cerebral Cortex 2017, 27(12), 5635-5651.
  • Trevelyan A, Muldoon SF, Merricks EM, Racca C, Staley K. The Role of Inhibition in Epileptic Networks. Journal of Clinical Neurophysiology 2015, 32(3), 227-234.
  • Alfonsa H, Merricks EM, Codadu NK, Cunningham MO, Deisseroth K, Racca C, Trevelyan AJ. The Contribution of Raised Intraneuronal Chloride to Epileptic Network Activity. Journal of Neuroscience 2015, 35(20), 7715-7726.
  • Stanic J, Carta M, Eberini I, Penuchi S, Marcello E, Genazzani A, Racca C, Mulle C, DiLuca M, Gardoni F. Rabphilin 3A retains NMDA receptors at synaptic sites through interaction with GluN2A/PSD-95 complex. Nature Communications 2015, 6, 10181.
  • Piguel NH, Fievre S, Blanc JM, Carta M, Moreau MM, Moutin E, Pinheiro VL, Medina C, Ezan J, Lasvaux L, Loll F, Durand CM, Chang K, Petralia RS, Wenthold RJ, Stephenson FA, Vuillard L, Darbon H, Perroy J, Mulle C, Montcouquiol M, Racca C, Sans N. Scribble1/AP2 Complex Coordinates the NMDA Receptor Endocytic Recycling. Cell Reports 2014, 9(2), 712-727.
  • Pienaar I-S, Elson JL, Racca C, Nelson G, Turnbull DM, Morris CM. Mitochondrial Abnormality Associates with Type-Specific Neuronal Loss and Cell Morphology Changes in the Pedunculopontine Nucleus in Parkinson Disease. American Journal of Pathology 2013, 183(6), 1826-1840.
  • Cox DJ, Racca C. Differential dendritic targeting of AMPA receptor subunit mRNAs in adult rat hippocampal principal neurons and interneurons. Journal of Comparative Neurology 2013, 521(9), 1954-2007.
  • Whittington MA, Cunningham MO, LeBeau FE, Racca C, Traub RD. Multiple origins of the cortical gamma rhythm. Developmental Neurobiology 2011, 71(1), 92-106.
  • Moreau MM, Piguel N, Papouin T, Koehl M, Durand CM, Rubio ME, Loll F, Richard EM, Mazzocco C, Racca C, Oliet SHR, Abrous DN, Montcouquiol M, Sans N. The Planar Polarity Protein Scribble1 Is Essential for Neuronal Plasticity and Brain Function. Journal of Neuroscience 2010, 30(29), 9738-9752.
  • Racca C, Gardiol A, Eom T, Ule J, Triller A, Darnell RB. The neuronal splicing factor Nova co-localizes with target RNAs in the dendrite. Frontiers in Neural Circuits 2010, 4, 5.
  • Cox DJ, Racca C, LeBeau FEN. β-adrenergic receptors are differentially expressed in distinct interneuron subtypes in the rat hippocampus. Journal of Comparative Neurology 2008, 509(6), 551-565.
  • Roopun AK, Cunningham MO, Racca C, Alter K, Traub RD, Whittington MA. Region-specific changes in gamma and beta2 rhythms in NMDA receptor dysfunction models of schizophrenia. Schizophrenia Bulletin 2008, 34(5), 962-973.
  • Middleton SJ, Racca C, Cunningham MO, Traub RD, Monyer H, Knopfel T, Schofield IS, Jenkins A, Whittington MA. High-Frequency Network Oscillations in Cerebellar Cortex. Neuron 2008, 58(5), 763-774.
  • Driver JE, Racca C, Cunningham MO, Towers SK, Davies CH, Whittington MA, Le Beau FEN. Impairment of hippocampal gamma (γ)-frequency oscillations in vitro in mice overexpressing human amyloid precursor protein (APP). European Journal of Neuroscience 2007, 26(5), 1280-1288.
  • Bibbig A, Middleton S, Racca C, Gillies MJ, Garner H, Le Beau FEN, Davies CH, Whittington MA. Beta rhythms (15-20 Hz) generated by nonreciprocal communication in hippocampus. Journal of Neurophysiology 2007, 97(4), 2812-2823.
  • Cunningham MO, Hunt J, Middleton S, Le Beau FEN, Gillies MG, Davies CH, Maycox PR, Whittington MA, Racca C. Region-specific reduction in entorhinal gamma oscillations and parvalbumin-immunoreactive neurons in animal models of psychiatric illness. Journal of Neuroscience 2006, 26(10), 2767-2776.
  • Cunningham MO, Pervouchine DD, Racca C, Kopell NJ, Davies CH, Jones RSG, Traub RD, Whittington MA. Neuronal metabolism governs cortical network response state. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America 2006, 103(14), 5597-5601.
  • Meier JC, Henneberger C, Melnick I, Racca C, Harvey RJ, Heinemann U, Volker Schmieden V, Grantyn R. RNA editing produces glycine receptor α3^P185L, resulting in high agonist potency. Nature Neuroscience 2005, 8(6), 736-744.
  • Pelkey KA, Lavezzari G, Racca C, Roche KW, McBain CJ. mGluR7 Is a Metaplastic Switch Controlling Bidirectional Plasticity of Feedforward Inhibition. Neuron 2005, 46(1), 89-102.
  • Sans N, Prybylowski K, Petralia RS, Chang K, Wang YX, Racca C, Vicini S, Wenthold RJ. NMDA receptor trafficking through an interaction between PDZ proteins and the exocyst complex. Nature Cell Biology 2003, 5(6), 520-530.
  • Sans N, Racca C, Petralia RS, Wang Y-X, McCallum J, Wenthold RJ. Synapse-Associated Protein 97 Selectively Associates with a Subset of AMPA Receptors Early in their Biosynthetic Pathway. The Journal of Neuroscience 2001, 21(19), 7506-7516.
  • Racca C, Stephenson FA, Streit P, Roberts JDB, Somogyi P. NMDA receptor content of synapses in stratum radiatum of the hippocampal CA1 area. The Journal of Neuroscience 2000, 20, 2512-2522.
  • Gardiol A, Racca C, Triller A. Dendritic and postsynaptic protein synthetic machinery. Journal of Neuroscience 1999, 19(1), 168-179.
  • Racca C, Gardiol A, Triller A. Cell-specific dendritic localization of glycine receptor α subunit messenger RNAS. Neuroscience 1998, 84(4), 997-1012.
  • Racca C, Gardiol A, Triller A. Dendritic and Postsynaptic Localizations of Glycine Receptor α Subunit mRNAs. The Journal of Neuroscience 1997, 17(5), 1691-1700.
  • Racca, C., Catania, M.V., Monyer, H., Sakmann, B. Expression of AMPA-glutamate receptor B subunit in rat hippocampal GABAergic neurones. Eur. J. Neurosci 1996, 8, 1580-1590.
  • Häusser, M.A., Stuart, G., Racca, C., Sakmann, B. Axonal initiation and active dendritic propagation of action potentials in substantia nigra neurons. Neuron 1995, 15, 637-647.
  • Jonas, P., Racca, C., Sakmann, B., Seeburg, P.H., Monyer, H. Differences in Ca2+ permeability of AMPA-type glutamate receptor channels in neocortical neurons caused by differential GluR-B subunit expression. Neuron 1994, 12, 1281-1289.
  • Giovannardi, S., Racca, C., Bertollini, L., Sturani, E., Peres, A. P2y Purinoreceptors in normal NIH 3T3 and in NIH 3T3 overexpressing c-ras. Exp. Cell Res 1992, 202, 398-404.
  • Peres, A., Racca, C., Bertollini, L., Sturani, E. Cytosolic calcium responses induced by photolytic release of 1,4,5,-inositol trisphosphate in single human fibroblasts. B.B.A 1991, 1092, 89-93.
  • Peres, A., Bertollini, L., Racca, C. Characterization of Ca2+ transients induced by intacellular photorelease of InsP3 in mouse ovarian oocytes. Cell Calcium 1991, 12, 457-465.
  • Peres, A., Racca, C., Zippel, R., Sturani, E. Cytosolic calcium and membrane conductance in response to platelet-derived growth factor and bradykinin stimulation in single human fibroblasts. European J. Cell Biol 1990, 53, 290-295.

• Book Chapter

  • Gardiol A, Racca C, Triller A. RNA transport and local protein synthesis in the dendritic compartment. In: Richter, D; Tiedge, H, ed. Results and Problems in Cell Differentiation. Springer, 2001, pp.105-128.

• Conference Proceedings (inc. Abstracts)

  • Eden DC, Whittington MA, Racca C, LeBeau FEN. Modulation of hippocampal gamma (30-80 Hz) frequency oscillations in vitro by serotonin. In: EUROPEAN NEUROPSYCHOPHARMACOLOGY. 2008, PO BOX 211, 1000 AE AMSTERDAM, NETHERLANDS: ELSEVIER SCIENCE BV.
  • Whittington M, Racca C. Loss of parvalbumin-positive interneurons predicts deficits in cortical gamma rhythm generation in animal models of schizophrenia-like cognitive dysfunction. In: Schizophrenia Bulletin: 10th International Congress on Schizophrenia Research. 2007, Savannah, Georgia, USA: Oxford University Press.
  • Racca C, Cunningham MO, Hunt J, Middleton S, LeBeau FE, Gillies MG, Davies CH, Maycox PR, Whittington MA. Region-specific reduction in entorhinal gamma oscillations and parvalbumin-immunoreactive neurons in animal models of psychiatric illness. In: Neuropsychopharmacology: 45th Annual Meeting of the American College of Neuropsychopharmacolgy. 2006, Hollywood, Florida: Nature Publishing Group.