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

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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.