Interplay of excitatory silent synapses, inhibitory synapses and synapse pruning in critical period plasticity (B03)

• Subject Area: Molecular Biology and Physiology of Neurons and Glial Cells ; Cognitive, Systems and Behavioural Neurobiology
• Term: from 2011 to 2022
• Project identifier: Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft (DFG) - Project number 154113120

Developmental critical periods are time windows, in which initial synaptic connections are refined by experience to optimize sensory function. We found that the two signalling scaffolds PSD-93 and PSD-95 opposingly regulate silent synapse maturation in the visual cortex and that the balanced process of maturation is required for experience-dependent neural network refinement. Here, we aim to determine the molecular events of silent synapse maturation and how it cooperates with synapse pruning in the refinement of excitatory synapses. Additionally, we aim to determine the mechanistic interaction of local inhibition and silent synapses in juvenile ocular dominance plasticity.

• DFG Programme: Collaborative Research Centres
• Subproject of: SFB 889: Cellular Mechanisms of Sensory Processing
• Applicant Institution: Georg-August-Universität Göttingen
• Project Head: Professor Dr. Oliver M. Schlüter