Gero Miesenböck: Mechanisms for Balancing Sleep Need and Sleep
University of Oxford
The essential but enigmatic functions of sleep must be reflected in physical changes sensed by the brain's sleep-control systems. In Drosophila, a handful of sleep-inducing neurons adjust their electrical output to sleep need, via the antagonistic regulation of two potassium conductances: the leak channel Sandman suppresses activity during waking, whereas voltage-gated currents through Shaker support tonic firing during sleep. Insight into the sleep need-dependent regulation of these ion channels is beginning to furnish a molecular interpretation of sleep pressure, uncover the cellular processes responsible for its accumulation and discharge, and hint at some of the physiological roles of sleep.
We will organize a barbecue after the talk.
Guests are welcome!
Organized by
Michael Brecht / Margret Franke
Location: BCCN Berlin, lecture hall, Philippstr. 13 Haus 6, 10115 Berlin