Interaction of homeostatic challenges in activity control for dopamine substantia nigra neurons by alpha-synuclein pathology, aging and cell loss (A11 [B07])

• Subject Area: Cognitive, Systems and Behavioural Neurobiology ; Molecular Biology and Physiology of Neurons and Glial Cells
• Term: since 2017
• Project identifier: Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft (DFG) - Project number 221828878

The combination of aging and alpha-synuclein pathology leads to progressive cell loss of dopamine substantia nigra (DA SN) neurons in Parkinson disease (PD). We will characterize the control of firing rate homeostasis in a particularly vulnerable subpopulation of DA SN neurons, which present a specific activity pattern in vivo and in vitro. Additionally, the dysregulation of their activity patterns caused by alpha-synuclein aggregation, cell loss and accelerated aging in an early-onset of PD mouse model will be addressed in order to identify the mechanisms underlying firing rate homeostasis in this susceptible subpopulation of DA SN neurons in physiological and pathological circumstances.

• DFG Programme: Collaborative Research Centres
• Subproject of: SFB 1080: Molecular and Cellular Mechanisms of Neural Homeostasis
• Applicant Institution: Goethe-Universität Frankfurt am Main
• Project Head: Professor Dr. Jochen Roeper