Significance of the protein constituents of native AMPA receptors for operation and dynamics of excitatory synaptic transmission in the mammalian brain (Functional proteomics of AMPA receptors)

Prof. Bernd Fakler, Dr. Jochen Schwenk (Institute of Physiology II)

The central goal of this proposal is the molecular understanding of the complex cell physiology of AMPARs in the mammalian brain based on the newly identified AMPAR proteome (Schwenk et al., 2009, 2012). This implies detailed analysis of the local specificity (distinct brain regions and distinct types of neurons and/or synapses) and the (activity-dependent) dynamics of the assembly of AMPAR complexes, as well as high-resolution functional analyses of the role of individual protein constituents for the cell physiology of native AMPARs.

For this purpose we will use a multidisciplinary and highly interactive approach comprising quantitative mass spectrometry, high-end electrophysiology (recordings from pre- and postsynaptic boutons), manipulation of protein expression via virus-based expression constructs, as well as fluorescence- and electron microscopy (SDS-FRL).