Protein aggregation: markers and drivers of synaptic dysfunction (B08)

• Subject Area: Molecular and Cellular Neurology and Neuropathology ; Molecular Biology and Physiology of Neurons and Glial Cells
• Term: since 2017
• Project identifier: Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft (DFG) - Project number 317475864

Synaptic dysfunction is a key molecular hallmark of neurodegenerative diseases such as Alzheimer’s disease and Parkinson’s disease, preceding neuronal loss. To understand this process, we will pursue the following specific aims: (1) To characterize the molecular architecture of selected types of disease-relevant α-synuclein aggregates; (2) To test the effect of selected candidate molecules on synaptic vesicle recycling and on neuronal activity; (3) To correlate the levels and molecular architecture of α-synuclein with synaptic activity.

• DFG Programme: Collaborative Research Centres
• Subproject of: SFB 1286: Quantitative Synaptology
• Applicant Institution: Georg-August-Universität Göttingen
• Project Head: Professor Dr. Tiago Fleming Outeiro