Thomas Dresbach Email & Phone Number

We study synapse formation with particular focus on the biogenesis of presynaptic nerve terminals. Presynaptic boutons are the principal sites of neurotransmitter release in the brain. They are generated during pivotal stages of brain development, including initial wiring of the brain, after adult neurogenesis, and during remodeling of presynaptic input in regions undergoing structural plasticity. Bouton generation is followed by maturation steps that fine-tune individual synapses for specific tasks. It is an emerging view that subtle aspects of synaptic dysfunction are implicated in an increasing number of disorders such as autism and schizophrenia. To unravel the molecular mechanisms involved, we study presynaptic bouton function at three principal levels, i.e. at the level of bouton composition, bouton assembly, and bouton maturation. Key questions driving our research are:What are the fundamental mechanisms underlying synapse formation and function?How are these fundamental mechanisms harnessed to equip specialized synapses in the brain with their specific properties?How are synapse formation and function controlled by transsynaptic signalling? How do subtle failures at each step - including synapse assembly, maturation, and fine-tuning - affect brain function? How do failures in synapse assembly and maturation contribute to psychiatric disorders?

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  University Of Bonn