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

听觉内毛细胞的带状突触对于时间精确和超快的突触声音编码是必不可少的。到目前为止，很少有人知道的形态可塑性，流动性和周转率的看似刚性的突触前带状体。此外，丝带功能的基本特征，包括突触前可塑性的活动依赖能力，仍然难以捉摸。为了解决这个问题，我们将联合收割机结合创新的长期活细胞成像方法与光遗传学测定，以敏锐地操纵毛细胞活性区的丝带可用性。因此，这个项目将提供重要的新的见解突触前动力学和功能的听觉带状突触。

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.