Head of Department:  Károly Elekes, PhD, DSc

The main research field of the Research Team is the comparative neurobiology of invertebrates, with special attention to the anatomical, physiological and biochemical bases of central and peripheral regulatory processes underlying behaviour. The research activity deals primarily with the complex, multidisciplinary (neuroanatomical, electrophysiological, bioassay, biochemical, molecular-biological, neuroinformatical) analysis of the nervous system in molluscs and arthropods, such as the pulmonate snails, Helix pomatia and Lymnaea stagnalis, and the locust, Locusta migratoria migratorioides, model animals of comparative neurobiology. Special attention is paid to the i) chemical-neuroanatomical organization, functional-morphological and synaptological characterization of networks and their identied elements (Elekes, Hernádi, Serfőző); ii) the physiological and electrophysiological analysis of identified neurons and networks (regulatory systems) membrane ion channels, membrane receptors and intracellular messenger systems (Kiss, Pirger, Bencze), as well as the biochemical-pharmacological characterization of signaling systems membrane receptors (Hiripi, Filla); iii) the organization of neural networks and the strategy of information processing in nerve cells approached by neuroinformatical models, neuronal interactions at cell culture level (Szűcs,); iv) neuroembriological investigations aiming at the gangliogenesis, the embryogenesis of chemical specifity of central and peripheral neurons, the development of intercellular connections (synaptogenesis), and the maturation of membrane receptors, and the physiological-behavioral maturation of different behaviors (Elekes, Serfőző, Balogh, Filla). 

Our focus is on the relationship between environmental pollution and health problems according to the following major points:

1. Screening-level risk assessment of pollutants (SLRA), with special reference to heavy metals, polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons and polychlorinated biphenyls. The use and drawing up proper site models to identify pollution sources, pathways and fate of contaminants of potential concern.

2. Toxic effect assessment of pollutants of both human and „natural” origin (like toxins produced by cyanobacteria): comprising hazard identification, accumulation and dose-response studies as well as exposure assessment using both invertebrate and vertebrate aquatic model organisms as well as cell culture models.

2.1. The neuronal mechanisms are studied on different levels of neuronal integration from behavior to individual nerve cells of the neuronal networks involved in the potentially toxic effects of environmentally concerned pollutants. By combining biochemical, morphological and electrophysiological techniques the exact target of the effects are determined on cellular and membrane functions, interneuronal connections as well as on neurotransmitter levels which modulate neuronal activity.

2.2. Application of in vitro toxicological techniques on different cell lines. Follow up the influence of toxic substances (including cyanobacterial toxins as microcystine, cylindrospermopsin) on regulation of the cell cycle, chromatin condensation, cell death process, cascade reactions of the signal transduction pathways, and the structure of the cytoskeleton.