Martin Paukert, M.D.

The Paukert Lab is interested in the role of neuron-astroglia interaction in neuromodulation. Astroglia are recognized for their homeostatic support functions during neuronal activity. Much less is known about how astroglia modulate neuronal activity in a behavioral state-dependent manner. A particular focus of our work lies on understanding molecular events and behavioral context leading to astroglia Ca2+ dynamics in awake mice, consequences for neuronal signaling and alterations of these signals in transgenic mouse models of neurodegenerative and neurobehavioral disease. We are pursuing these goals combining behavioral manipulations, such as employing a motorized treadmill to monitor and control the state of arousal, with two-photon microscopy and electrophysiology to observe activity of ensembles of neurons and astroglia with cellular resolution.

• Research & Grants

  Related diseases: Neuro-psychiatric diseases, Alzheimer’s disease, Neuro-vascular diseases, Epilepsy

  Techniques: In vivo two-photon microscopy (Ca2+ imaging), acute brain slice physiology, electrophysiology, mouse transgenesis, behavioral analysis

  Sub-Field of Study: Behavioral state-dependent neural activity

  Specific Field of Sudy: Astroglia-Neuron interplay

  Research profile

• Publications

  Norepinephrine controls astroglial responsiveness to local circuit activity.

  Paukert, M., Agarwal, A., Jaepyeong, C., Doze, V.A., Kang, J.U. and Bergles, D.E., Neuron82(6): 1263-1270, 2014.

  Reduction of motion artifacts during in vivo two-photon imaging of brain through heartbeat triggered scanning.

  Paukert, M. and Bergles, D.E., Journal of Physiology 590(Pt 13): 2955-2963, 2012.

  Zones of enhanced glutamate release from climbing fibers in the mammalian cerebellum.

  Paukert, M., Huang, Y.H., Tanaka, K., Rothstein, J.D. and Bergles, D.E., Journal of Neuroscience 30: 7290-7299, 2010.