Project Details
Projekt
Synaptic plasticity: Impact on network stability and role of spine endoplasmic reticulum
Subject Area
Molecular Biology and Physiology of Neurons and Glial Cells
Term
from 2015 to 2023
Project identifier
Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft (DFG) - Project number 278170285
The hippocampus is able to store episodic memories for several days. We hypothesize that long-term potentiation (LTP) of synapses stabilizes neuronal networks, i.e. the pattern of synaptic connections between particular groups of neurons will be less likely to change in the days following potentiation. Long-term depression (LTD) may have the opposite effect. To test these predictions, we will induce spike-timing dependent plasticity in CA1 using two-color optogenetics and employ a novel maker for active synapses (SynTagMA), as well as connectivity mapping on the cellular level with a non-toxic transsynaptic virus. With correlative light-EM microscopy (array tomography) we will investigate morphological details of recently potentiated synapses, such as the ultrastructure of spine endoplasmic reticulum.
DFG Programme
Research Units
