Responsibilities
Research group leader "Neurophysiology"
GSN women´s representative: offers advice regarding female-oriented matters (i. e. career planning, support programs and grants, work-life balance).
Contact
Faculty of Biology
Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität München
Großhaderner Straße 2
D-82152 Planegg-Martinsried
Room:
B 03.026
Phone:
+49 (0)89 / 2180-74310
Fax:
+49 (0)89 / 2180-74168
Email:
cks@biologie.uni-muenchen.de
Website:
https://www.bio.lmu.de/en/research/research-fields/neurobiology/kopp-scheinpflug-lab/
Further Information
Research focus:
Function and mechanisms of activity-dependent neuromodulation. Neurons are perfectly tuned to congregate biologically relevant information from synaptic inputs. This process is under permanent activity-dependent control mediated by neuromodulators, which can temporarily sway synaptic transmission and neuronal excitability by changing the properties of membrane receptors, ion channels and even axonal myelination. Our lab focusses on how the brain processes temporal properties of sound rhythms, with a specific interest in adaptations of hearing to changing levels of activity, noise pollution, fear and stress. By combining genetic models, 3-D histology, electrophysiology (patch-clamp, different in vivo techniques) and behavioral measures we tackle the questions of 1) What circumstances activate neuromodulators and 2) How do they influence the processing of relevant information. We hope that knowing more about these mechanisms will reveal new targets for the treatment of functional disorders of neuronal excitability.
Keywords: Neuromodulation, patch-clamp, in vivo recordings, auditory system
Current: Oskar Kalle Juhani Markkula, Luna Amanda Studer
Graduated: Dr. Ezhilarasan Rajaram, Dr. Sara Pagella, Dr. Mihai Stancu
Selected publications:
Stancu M, Wohlfrom H, Hess M, Grothe B, Leibold C & Kopp-Scheinpflug C. (2024). Ambient sound stimulation tunes axonal conduction velocity by regulating radial growth of myelin on an individual, axon-by-axon basis. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 121, e2316439121.
Pagella, S., Deussing, J.M., and Kopp-Scheinpflug, C. (2021). Expression Patterns of the Neuropeptide Urocortin 3 and Its Receptor CRFR2 in the Mouse Central Auditory System. Front Neural Circuits 15, 747472. 10.3389/fncir.2021.747472.
Kopp-Scheinpflug, C., Sinclair, J.L., and Linden, J.F. (2018). When Sound Stops: Offset Responses in the Auditory System. Trends Neurosci 41, 712-728. 10.1016/j.tins.2018.08.009.
Rajaram, E., Kaltenbach, C., Fischl, M.J., Mrowka, L., Alexandrova, O., Grothe, B., Hennig, M.H., and Kopp-Scheinpflug, C. (2019). Slow NMDA-Mediated Excitation Accelerates Offset-Response Latencies Generated via a Post-Inhibitory Rebound Mechanism. eNeuro 6. 10.1523/ENEURO.0106-19.2019.
Sinclair, J.L., Fischl, M.J., Alexandrova, O., Heß, M., Grothe, B., Leibold, C., and Kopp-Scheinpflug, C. (2017). Sound-Evoked Activity Influences Myelination of Brainstem Axons in the Trapezoid Body. J Neurosci 37, 8239-8255. 10.1523/JNEUROSCI.3728-16.2017.
Kopp-Scheinpflug, C., Tozer, A.J., Robinson, S.W., Tempel, B.L., Hennig, M.H., and Forsythe, I.D. (2011). The sound of silence: ionic mechanisms encoding sound termination. Neuron 71, 911-925. 10.1016/j.neuron.2011.06.028.