Molecular and cellular machineries in cortical networks
Keywords
Hippocampus, prefrontal cortex, network oscillations, GABAergic interneurons, synaptic connectivity
Research interest of the Faculty Member
Dr. Klausberger is interested in spatio-temporal organisation of cortical networks in regard to network oscillations, memory formation, learning and decision making. In the recent past, he has investigated the contribution of identified GABAergic interneurons to theta, gamma and ripple oscillations in the hippocampus of anaesthetised rats; the temporal activity of distinct cell types was related to their synaptic connectivity and molecular expression profile. Recently, he has started to investigate the temporal and synaptic organisation in the medial prefrontal cortex of freely-moving rats performing working memory and decision making tasks. These studies are supplemented by a detailed immunohistochemical analysis of neurotransmitter receptors and transporters, neuropeptides and their receptors, voltage-gated ion channels and Ca2+ binding proteins in GABAergic interneurons of the medial prefrontal cortex.
Collaborating research groups where PhD Students could perform their research stay abroad
Dr. David Dupret, MRC Anatomical Neuropharmacology Unit, Oxford University, UK
Prof. Jozsef Csicsvari, IST Austria, Austria
Prof. Peter Somogyi, MRC Anatomical Neuropharmacology Unit, Oxford University, UK
Know-how and infrastructure of the research group
We have demonstrated that different classes of GABAergic interneuron, distinguished by distinct synaptic connectivity and molecular expression profile, also make distinct contributions to neuronal timing of cortical networks in vivo (Klausberger et al., 2003; Klausberger and Somogyi, 2008); these spatio-temporal networks underlie the generation of different network oscillations and brain states. In addition, we discovered novel neuronal cell types in the hippocampus (Fuentealba et al., 2008; Jinno et al., 2007) and the cell-type specific localisation of signalling molecules (Baude et al., 2007; Klausberger et al., 2002).
Our research group uses electrophysiological recordings in anaesthetised and freely-moving rodents using glass and/or tetrodes recordings, also paired with optogentic manipulation after viral infection. Juxtacellular filling of the recorded neurons allow their subsequent immunohistochemical analysis using immunoflourescence microscopy, electron microscopy and 3D reconstruction of dendrites and axons with Neurolucida light microscopy.
All major equipment required for the accomplishment of the CCHD research proposal will be present at the Center for Brain Research, including three in vivo electrophysiological recording set-ups (128 channel recordings of multiple cortical neurons and neuronal ensembles during the performance of cognitive tasks and two set-ups are designed for juxtacellular recordings with glass electrodes from identified cortical neurons in parallel with 32 channel multi-unit tetrode or silicon probe recordings), lasers and virus preparation facilities for optogenetics, workshop facilities, light-, stereo- and immuno-fluorescence microscopes, a Neurolucida suite for the 3D reconstruction of neurons, and state-of-the art animal facilities. The Center for Brain Research also houses an electron microscope and two confocal fluorescence microscopes, which are available for the work on the CCHD proposal.