Göttingen Graduate Center for Neurosciences, Biophysics, and Molecular Biosciences

Wichmann, Carolin, Prof. Dr.

"Molecular Ultrastructure of synapses", Institute for Auditory Neuroscience & InnerEarLab


  • 12/ 2016 - W2 Professorship “Molecular Architecture of Synapses” at the Institute for Auditory Neuroscience, University Medical Center Göttingen
  • 2011 - 2016 Group Leader in the InnerEarLab University Medical Center Göttingen (Group: Molecular Architecture of Synapses), Department of Otolaryngology (since January 1st 2015: Institute for Auditory Neuroscience)
  • 2008 – 2011 Research Associate at the Charité Berlin/NeuroCure/Freie Universität Berlin (Prof. Dr. Stephan J. Sigrist)
  • 2006 – 2008 Research Associate, Bio-Imaging Center, University of Würzburg (Prof. Dr. Stephan J. Sigrist)
  • 2005 – 2006 Research Associate at the Clinical Neurobiology, University of Würzburg (Prof. Dr. Manfred Heckmann/Prof. Dr. Stephan J. Sigrist)
  • 2002 – 2005 Research Associate at the European Neuroscience Institute (ENI), Göttingen (Dr. Stephan J. Sigrist)
  • 2002 Dr. rer. nat., Institute for Microbiology and Genetics, University of Göttingen (Prof. Dr. F. Mayer)
  • 1999 – 2002 Doctoral studies, Institute for Microbiology and Genetics, University of Göttingen (Prof. Dr. F. Mayer)
  • 1993 – 1999 Studies of Biology (Diploma), University of Göttingen



Major Research Interests

We combine electron microscopy, immunohistochemistry and high-resolution light microscopy to study the molecular architecture of synapses and how structure relates to function. The sensory inner ear ribbon synapses and central synapses of the early auditory pathway such as the endbulbs of Held are of particular interest for us. Using different electron microscopic techniques, especially electron tomography combined with high-pressure freezing/freeze-substitution (HPF/FS) or volume electron microscopy, we study morphological aspects of wild-type and mutant synapses of the early auditory pathway qualitatively and quantitatively. The combination of electron tomography and HPF/FS allows to compare synaptic vesicle pools, docking or even tethering of synaptic vesicles upon development, aging, deafness or acute activation using light or electrolyte solutions.


Homepage Department/Research Group

http://www.innerearlab.uni-goettingen.de/

http://www.auditory-neuroscience.uni-goettingen.de/

http://sfb889.uni-goettingen.de//

https://sfb1690.uni-goettingen.de//

http://www.cfbin.uni-goettingen.de/


Selected Recent Publications


  • Li F, Bahr JN, Bierth FA, Reshetniak S, Tetzlaff C, Fornasiero EF, Wichmann C*, Rizzoli SO* (2024). Morphological correlates of synaptic protein turnover in the mouse brain. Life Sci Alliance 7:e202402793. doi: 10.26508/lsa.202402793
  • Hintze A*, Lange F*, Steyer AM, Anstatt J, Möbius W, Jakobs S#, Wichmann C# (2023). Developmental changes of the mitochondria in the murine anteroventral cochlear nucleus. iScience, 27, 108700. doi: 10.1016/j.isci.2023.108700
  • Michanski S*, Henneck T, Mukhopadhyay M, Steyer AM, Agüi Gonzalez P, Grewe K, Ilgen P, Gültas M, Fornasiero EF, Jakobs S, Möbius W, Vogl C, Pangršič T, Rizzoli SO, Wichmann C* (2023). Age-dependent structural reorganization of utricular ribbon synapses. Front Cell Dev Biol, 11; 1178992
  • Michanski S*, Kapoor R*, Steyer AM, Möbius W, Früholz I, Ackermann F, Gültas M, Garner CC, Hamra KF, Neef J, Strenzke N, Moser T#, Wichmann C# (2023). Piccolino is required for ribbon architecture at cochlear inner hair cell synapses and for hearing. EMBO rep, 24: e56702
  • Chakrabarti R, Jaime Tobón LM, Slitin L, Redondo-Canales M, Hoch G, Slashcheva M, Fritsch E, Bodensiek K, Özçete ÖD, Gültas M, Michanski S, Opazo F, Neef J, Pangrsic T, Moser T, Wichmann C (2022). Optogenetics and electron tomography for structure-function analysis of cochlear ribbon synapses. Elife 11:e79494. doi: 10.7554/eLife.79494. Online ahead of print.
  • Hintze A, Gültas M, Semmelhack SA, Wichmann C# (2021) Ultrastructural maturation of endbulb of Held active zones comparing wild-type and otoferlin-deficient mice. iScience, 8;24:102282
  • Kroll J, Oezcete ÖD, Jung SY, Maritzen T, Milosevic I, Wichmann C#, Moser T# (2020) AP180 promotes release site clearance and clathrin-dependent vesicle reformation in mouse cochlear inner hair cells. J Cell Sci, 133(2):jcs236737
  • Michanski S, Smaluch K, Steyer AM, Chakrabarti R, Setz C, Oestreicher D, Fischer C, Möbius W, Moser T, Vogl C#, Wichmann C# (2019) Mapping developmental maturation of inner hair cell ribbon synapses in the apical mouse cochlea. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 116, 6415-6424
  • Chakrabarti R, Michanski S, Wichmann C (2018) Vesicle sub-pool organization at inner hair cell ribbon synapses. EMBO Rep 19, pii: e44937