Göttingen Graduate Center for Neurosciences, Biophysics, and Molecular Biosciences

Brose, Nils, Prof. Dr.

Professor, Director at the Max Planck Institute for Experimental Medicine


  • Undergraduate studies in Biochemistry, Eberhard Karls University, Tübingen, Germany (1981-1985)
  • MSc in Physiology with Marianne Fillenz, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK (1987)
  • PhD in Biology with Reinhard Jahn, Ludwig Maximilians University, Munich, Germany (1990)
  • Postdoctoral training with Stephen F. Heinemann (Salk Institute, La Jolla, CA, USA) and Thomas C. Südhof (University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, TX, USA) (1991-1995)
  • Research Group Leader, Max Planck Institute of Experimental Medicine, Göttingen, Germany (1995-2001)
  • Director, Department of Molecular Neurobiology, Max Planck Institute of Experimental Medicine, Göttingen, Germany (since 2001)



Major Research Interests

Our research focuses on the molecular mechanisms of nerve cell development and synapse formation and function in the vertebrate central nervous system. To this end, we combine biochemical, morphological, mouse genetic, physiological, and behavioral methods to elucidate the molecular basis of nerve cell differentiation, synapse formation, transmitter release, and postsynaptic transmitter sensing. In selected cases, we explore the dysfunction of corresponding biological processes in neuropsychiatric diseases. Our work in the field of nerve cell development focuses on the role of SUMOylation in cell polarity formation, cell migration, and neuritogenesis, our synaptogenesis research concentrates on synaptic cell adhesion proteins and their role in synapse formation and function, and our studies on the molecular mechanisms of neurotransmitter release focus on components of the presynaptic active zone and their regulatory function in synaptic vesicle fusion.


Homepage Department/Research Group

https://www.mpinat.mpg.de/de/brose



Selected Recent Publications


  • Imig C, López-Murcia FJ, Maus L, Hojas Garcia-Plaza I, Mortensen LS, Schwark M, Schwarze V, Angibaud J, Nägerl UV, Taschenberger H, Brose N*, Cooper BH* (2020) Ultrastructural imaging of activity-dependent synaptic membrane-trafficking events in cultured brain slices. Neuron 108: 843-860. (*joint corresponding authors)
  • Lopez-Murcia FJ, Reim K, Jahn O, Taschenberger H*, Brose N* (2019) Acute Complexin knock-out abates spontaneous and evoked transmitter release. Cell Rep 26: 2521-2530 (*joint corresponding authors)
  • Sigler A, Oh WC, Imig C, Altas B, Kawabe H, Cooper BH, Kwon H-B, Rhee J-S*, Brose N* (2017) Formation and maintenance of functional spines in the absence of presynaptic glutamate release. Neuron 94: 304-311. (*joint corresponding authors)
  • Kawabe H, Mitkovski M, Kaeser PS, Hirrlinger J, Opazo F, Nestvogel D, Kalla S, Fejtova A, Verrier SE, Bungers SR, Cooper BH, Varoqueaux F, Wang Y, Nehring RB, Gundelfinger ED, Rosenmund C, Rizzoli SO, Südhof TC, Rhee J-S, Brose, N. (2017) ELKS1 localizes the synaptic vesicle priming protein bMunc13-2 to a specific subset of active zones. J Cell Biol 216: 1143-1161
  • Lipstein N, Verhoeven-Duif NM, Michelassi FE, Calloway N, van Hasselt PM, Pienkowska K, van Haaften G, van Haelst MM, van Empelen R, Cuppen I, van Teeseling HC, Evelein AMV, Vorstman JA, Thoms S, Jahn O, Duran KJ, Monroe GR, Ryan TA, Taschenberger H, Dittman JS, Rhee J-S, Visser G, Jans JJ*, Brose N* (2017) Synaptic UNC13A protein variant causes increased synaptic transmission and dyskinetic movement disorder. J Clin Invest 127: 1005-1018 (*joint corresponding authors)
  • Soykan T, Schneeberger D, Tria G, Buechner C, Bader N, Svergun D, Tessmer I, Poulopoulos A, Papadopoulos T, Varoqueaux F, Schindelin H*, Brose N* (2014). A conformational switch in Collybistin determines the differentiation of inhibitory postsynapses. EMBO J 18: 2113-2133 (*joint corresponding authors)
  • Imig C, Min SW, Krinner S, Arancillo M, Rosenmund C, Südhof TC, Rhee J, Brose N*, Cooper BH* (2014). The morphological and molecular nature of synaptic vesicle priming at presynaptic active zones. Neuron 84: 416-431 (*joint corresponding authors)
  • Lipstein N, Sakaba T, Cooper BH, Lin K-H, Strenzke N, Ashery U, Rhee J-S, Taschenberger H, Neher E, Brose N (2013) Dynamic control of synaptic vesicle replenishment and short-term plasticity by Ca2+-Calmodulin-Munc13-1 signaling. Neuron 79: 82-96
  • Tirard M, Hsiao H-H, Nikolov M, Urlaub H, Melchior F, Brose N (2012) In vivo localization and identification of SUMOylated proteins in the brain of His6-HA-SUMO1 knock-in mice. Proc Natl Acad Sci USA 109: 21122-21127