Illuminating the morphological and functional plasticity of cochlear inner hair cell ribbon synapses (B08*)

• Subject Area: Otolaryngology, Phoniatrics and Audiology ; Molecular Biology and Physiology of Neurons and Glial Cells
• Term: from 2019 to 2022
• Project identifier: Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft (DFG) - Project number 154113120

Ribbon synapses of auditory inner hair cells are essential for temporally precise and ultrafast synaptic sound encoding. To date, little is known about the morphological plasticity, mobility, and turnover rate of the seemingly rigid presynaptic ribbon bodies. Moreover, basic features of ribbon function, including the activity-dependent capacity for presynaptic plasticity, remain elusive. To address this, we will combine innovative long-term live-cell imaging approaches with optogenetic assays to acutely manipulate ribbon availability at hair cell active zones. This project will hence provide important new insights into the presynaptic dynamics and function of auditory ribbon synapses.

• DFG Programme: Collaborative Research Centres
• Subproject of: SFB 889: Cellular Mechanisms of Sensory Processing
• Applicant Institution: Georg-August-Universität Göttingen
• Project Heads: Professor Dr. Jörg Enderlein; Dr. Christian Vogl