Molecular physiology of synaptic vesicle recycling at the hair cell ribbon synapse (A08*)

• Subject Area: Molecular Biology and Physiology of Neurons and Glial Cells ; Otolaryngology, Phoniatrics and Audiology
• Term: from 2015 to 2018
• Project identifier: Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft (DFG) - Project number 154113120

In order to sustain high rates of synaptic transmission, inner hair cells (IHCs) need to efficiently recycle synaptic vesicles. Yet, little is known about the mechanisms of SV recycling at IHC ribbon synapses. Here we plan to test the hypotheses that in IHCs: 1) AP-2 contributes to exocytosis-endocytosis coupling and/or clathrin coat assembly at the plasma membrane and endosomal-like vacuoles; 2) dynamins operate in fission during endocytic membrane retrieval and during vesicle reformation from endosomal cisterns; and 3) endophilins as well as synaptojanin mediate uncoating of clathrin-coated vesicles. To achieve this we will carry out morphological and functional studies of IHC synapses in relevant mouse mutants

• DFG Programme: Collaborative Research Centres
• Subproject of: SFB 889: Cellular Mechanisms of Sensory Processing
• Applicant Institution: Georg-August-Universität Göttingen
• Project Heads: Dr. Ira Milosevic; Professor Dr. Tobias Moser