Survey
* Your assessment is very important for improving the workof artificial intelligence, which forms the content of this project
* Your assessment is very important for improving the workof artificial intelligence, which forms the content of this project
Georg Zoidl PhD (Essen, Germany) Professor and Canada Research Chair for Molecular and Cellular Neuroscience Email: [email protected] Zoidl Biology Research Interests: Molecular and Cellular Neuroscience, Visual System, Synaptic Plasticity, Learning and Memory, Imaging, Transgenic Animals, Electrophysiology, Functional Genomics, Neurological Disorders Research Focus: Function(s) of electrical synapses in health and disease Electrical synapses (or Gap junctions) comprise channels that allow the direct exchange of small metabolites as well as the transmission of ions for propagating electrical currents. They are formed by two families of proteins, collectively termed connexins (Cx) or pannexins (Panx). The activity of this synapses can be regulated by molecular composition, transport, at the level of membrane voltage, pH, phosphorylation and biochemical signals. This leaves a rich potential for regulation of junctional conductance, directionality and molecular specificity. Arguably, the potential capability to synchronize, regulate or restrict the flow of information is the most exciting role of gap junctional communication during neural development, in the adult nervous system and under pathological conditions. Historically, the role of electrical synapses was underestimated and all complex and higher brain functions attributed to chemical synapses. This view has changed substantially during the last few years due to novel findings demonstrating that electrical synapses can modulate the synchronization of neuronal activities needed for memory consolidation, thus linking the activity of electrical synapses to higher brain functions. Furthermore, a role in inherited human diseases has been demonstrated and accruing evidence suggest a prominent role in epilepsy, schizophrenia, ischemia and cancer. My group addresses the functional role of electrical communication using the zebrafish visual system and the mouse hippocampus as experimental models for neuronal networks and synaptic plasticity. We start from the molecular characterization of electrical synapse proteins in vitro to the development of animal models for functional analysis in vivo. Electrophysiological tools, high-end multiphoton imaging of the living organisms and behavioral tests are used to answer the question how these communication pathways contribute and interact to form a functional nervous system. In summary, work performed by my group is highly interdisciplinary and open for students with different backgrounds in the Life Sciences, Health and Engineering with a strong interest in basic and biomedical research. Sample Publications: Georg Zoidl, Rolf Dermietzel: Gap junctions in inherited human diseases, PFLUGERS ARCHEUR J. PHYSIOL, vol 460, no 2: 451-466, 2010. Audrey Turchinovich, Georg Zoidl, Rolf Dermietzel: Non-viral siRNA delivery into the mouse retina in vivo, BMC Ophthalmol. Vol 10, no 1: 25-50, 2010. Daniel Hinkerohe, Dirk Smikalia, Andreas Schoebel, Aiden Haghikia, Georg Zoidl, Claus G. Haase, Uwe Schiegel, Pedro M. Faustmann: Dexamethasone prevents LPS-induced microglial activation and astroglial impairment in an experimental bacterial meningitis co-culture model. BRAIN RES, vol. 1329, 45-54, 2010. Christina Gründken, Julian Hanske, Stephanie Wengel, Wiebke Reuter, Amr Abdulazim, Valey I. Shestopalov, Rolf Dermietzel, Georg Zoidl, Nora Prochnow: Unified patch clam protocol for the characterization of Pannexin 1 channels in isolated cells and acute brain slices. Metal Finishing, vol 199, no. 1, 15-25, 2011.