Linnaea Ostroff

Assistant Professor

Department of Physiology and Neurobiology

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Education

Ph.D., Boston University

Research Focus

The lab is interested in how synaptic changes mediate learning and memory, and particularly in how animals learn to differentiate between safety and danger. Memories of safety can suppress fear, anxiety, and stress responses, and understanding how they are encoded at the cellular level can shed light on the pathophysiology of anxiety disorders and post-traumatic stress disorder. We use serial section electron microscopy reconstructions to study changes in synaptic connectivity, along with immuno-electron microscopy, behavioral pharmacology, and viral vector based neuroanatomical tracing.

Publications

Ostroff, L.E., Santini, E., Sears, R., Deane, Z., Kanadia, R., LeDoux, J.E., Lhakhang, T., Tsirigos, A., Heguy, A., and Klann, E. (2019)  Axon TRAP reveals learning-induced alterations in cortical axonal mRNAs in the lateral amgydala. eLife 8:e51607.

Ostroff, L.E., Watson, D.J., Cao, G., Parker, P.H., Smith, H., and Harris, K.M. (2018) Shifting patterns of polyribosome accumulation at synapses over the course of hippocampal long-term potentiation.  Hippocampus 28:416-430.  (Cover article.)

Ostroff, L.E., Botsford, B., Gindina, S., Cowansage, K.K., LeDoux, J.E., Klann, E., and Hoeffer, C.A., (2017)  Accumulation of polyribosomes in dendritic spine heads, but not bases and necks, during memory consolidation depends on cap-dependent translation initiation. J Neurosci 37:1862-72.

Smith H.L., Bourne, J.N., Cao, G., Chirillo, M.A., Ostroff, L.E., Watson, D.J., and Harris, K.M.  (2016) Mitochondrial support of persistent presynaptic vesicle mobilization with age-dependent synaptic growth after LTP.  eLife 5. pii: e15275.

Watson, D.J.#, Ostroff, L.E.#, Cao, G., Parker, P.H., and Harris, K.M. (2016) LTP enhances synaptogenesis in the developing hippocampus.  Hippocampus 26:560-76.  #credited equally

Ostroff, L.E., Manzur, M., Cain, C.K., and LeDoux, J.E. (2014) Synapses lacking astrocyte appear in the amygdala during consolidation of Pavlovian threat conditioning.  J Comp Neurol 522:2152-63.

De Rubeis, S., Pasciuto, E., Li, K.W., Fernández, E., Di Marino, D., Buzzi., A, Ostroff, L.E., Klann, E., Zwartkruis, F.J., Komiyama, N.H., Grant, S.G., Poujol, C., Choquet, D., Achsel, T., Posthuma, D., Smit, A.B., and Bagni, C. (2013) CYFIP1 Coordinates mRNA Translation and Cytoskeleton Remodeling to Ensure Proper Dendritic Spine Formation. Neuron 79:1169-82.

Ostroff, L.E., Cain, C.K., Jindal, N., Dar, N., and LeDoux, J.E.  (2012) Stability of presynaptic boutons and changes in synaptic vesicle pools in the rat amygdala with fear learning.  J Comp Neurol 520: 295-314.

Ostroff, L.E., Cain, C.K., Bedont, J., Monfils, M., and LeDoux, J.E.  (2010)  Fear and safety learning differentially affect synapse size and dendritic translation in the lateral amygdala.  PNAS 107: 9418-23.

Park, M., Salgado, J.M., Ostroff, L., Helton, T.D., Robinson, C.G., Harris, K.M., and Ehlers, M.D. (2006) Plasticity-induced growth of dendritic spines by exocytic trafficking from recycling endosomes.  Neuron 52:817-830

Harris, K.M., Perry, E., Bourne, J., Feinberg, M., Ostroff, L., and Hurlburt, J. (2006)  Uniform serial sectioning for transmission electron microscopy.  J Neurosci 26:12101-3.

Ostroff, L.E., Fiala, J.C., Allwardt, B., and Harris, K.M. (2002) Polyribosomes redistribute from dendritic shafts into spines with enlarged synapses during LTP in developing rat hippocampal slices. Neuron 35:535-45.