07.10.2024 | Dezernat Forschung, Sachgebiet Exzellenzstrategie und Institut für Klinische Anatomie

Developmental mechanisms that establish neuronal heterogeneity in the dopaminergic system  

Science & Career Talks

Prof. Dr. Sandra Blaess, Universität Bonn, Neurodevelopmental Genetics

Hochschulöffentlicher Vortrag. Eine Anmeldung ist nicht erforderlich. 

Gastgeberin: PD Dr. Andrea Wizenmann, Institut für Klinische Anatomie

Midbrain dopaminergic (mDA) neurons modulate a variety of brain functions, including voluntary movement and reward behavior. Degeneration of a subset of mDA neurons underlies motor deficits in Parkinson's disease, while altered dopamine transmission plays a role in neuropsychiatric disorders. In recent years, an increasingly detailed picture has emerged of the gene expression profiles of different mDA subpopulations, anatomically and physiologically distinct dopamine circuits, and their effects on various aspects of behavior. How this diversity of mDA neurons arises during development, how a particular molecular identity is linked to the functional identity of an mDA neuron subtype and why certain subsets of mDA neurons are prone to neurodegeneration in Parkinson's disease is not fully understood. A major goal of our research is to unravel the mechanisms underlying the development of diversity in the dopaminergic system. Our studies demonstrate that insight into the genetically defined developmental history of mDA neurons is important for understanding the functional organization of the dopaminergic system and its susceptibility to neurodegeneration in the adult brain.  (Vortrag in englischer Sprache)

Weiterführende Informationen: https://uni-tuebingen.de/de/221946