Dr Matthias Landgraf University positionReader Dr Matthias Landgraf is pleased to consider applications from prospective PhD students. DepartmentsHome pagehttps://www.zoo.cam.ac.uk/researc... (personal home page) Research ThemesInterestsWe seek to understand how neural networks are specified and how they assemble during development. The locomotor network of the Drosophila embryo and larva serves as a powerful experimental model. Composed of identified neurons whose connections have been reconstructed, we use genetics, imaging and electrophysiology to study fundamental questions about synapse development, dendritic growth and the regulation of plasticity. Current research topics include: Charting the developmental logic of neurotransmitters specification Determining how patterned growth during development leads to patterns of synaptic connections Activity dependent structural homeostasis and the maturation of network properties Reactive oxygen species seen in a different light, as newly identified regulators of synaptic growth Connectomics of memory circuits Research Focus
EquipmentCell labelling Confocal microscopy Electrophysiological recording techniques Fluorescence microscopy Fluorescence microscopy Genetic intersectional strategies Immunocytochemistry Live imaging Collaborators
Associated News Items
Key publicationsOswald MCW, Brooks PS, Zwart MF, Mukherjee A, West RJH, Morarach K, Sweeney ST and Landgraf M. (2018), “Reactive Oxygen Species Regulate Activity-Dependent Neuronal Structural Plasticity. ” eLife DOI: 10.7554/eLife.39393 Zwart MF, Pulver SR, Truman JW, Fushiki A, Fetter, RD, Cardona A, Landgraf M. (2016), “Selective Inhibition Mediates the Sequential Recruitment of Motor Pools. ” Neuron 91(3):615-628 Couton L, Mauss AS, Yunusov T, Diegelmann S, Evers JF, Landgraf M. (2015), “Development of connectivity in a motoneuronal network in Drosophila larvae. ” Current Biology 25(5): 568–576 Diao F, Ironfield H, Luan H, Diao F, Shropshire WC, Ewer J, Marr E, Potter CJ, Landgraf M, White BH. (2015), “Plug-and-Play Genetic Access to Drosophila Cell Types using Exchangeable Exon Cassettes. ” Cell Reports 10(8): 1410–1421 Zwart MF, Randlett O, Evers JF, Landgraf M (2013), “Dendritic growth gated by a steroid hormone receptor underlies increases in activity in the developing Drosophila locomotor system.” Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 110(40):E3878-87 Details Publications2018Oswald, M. C. W., Garnham, N., Sweeney, S. T., & Landgraf, M. (2018), “Regulation of neuronal development and function by ROS.” FEBS Letters doi.org/10.1002/1873-3468.12972 2013Singh AP, Das RN, Rao G, Aggarwal A, Diegelmann S, Evers JF, Karandikar H, Landgraf M, Rodrigues V, Vijayraghavan K (2013), “Sensory neuron-derived eph regulates glomerular arbors and modulatory function of a central serotonergic neuron.” PLoS Genet 9(4):e1003452 Details 2012Thackray AM, Muhammad F, Zhang C, Di Y, Jahn TR, Landgraf M, Crowther DC, Evers JF, Bujdoso R (2012), “Ovine PrP transgenic Drosophila show reduced locomotor activity and decreased survival.” Biochem J 444(3):487-95 Details 2010Nicolaď LJ, Ramaekers A, Raemaekers T, Drozdzecki A, Mauss AS, Yan J, Landgraf M, Annaert W, Hassan BA (2010), “Genetically encoded dendritic marker sheds light on neuronal connectivity in Drosophila.” Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 107(47):20553-8 Details 2009Mauss A, Tripodi M, Evers JF, Landgraf M (2009), “Midline signalling systems direct the formation of a neural map by dendritic targeting in the Drosophila motor system.” PLoS Biol 7(9):e1000200 Details 2008Diegelmann S, Bate M, Landgraf M (2008), “Gateway cloning vectors for the LexA-based binary expression system in Drosophila.” Fly (Austin) 2(4):236-9 Details Ou Y, Chwalla B, Landgraf M, van Meyel DJ (2008), “Identification of genes influencing dendrite morphogenesis in developing peripheral sensory and central motor neurons.” Neural Dev 3:16 Details Tripodi M, Evers JF, Mauss A, Bate M, Landgraf M (2008), “Structural homeostasis: compensatory adjustments of dendritic arbor geometry in response to variations of synaptic input.” PLoS Biol 6(10):e260 Details 2006Landgraf M, Thor S (2006), “Development and structure of motoneurons.” Int Rev Neurobiol 75:33-53 Details Landgraf M, Thor S (2006), “Development of Drosophila motoneurons: specification and morphology.” Semin Cell Dev Biol 17(1):3-11 Details 2005Landgraf M, Evers JF (2005), “Control of dendritic diversity.” Curr Opin Cell Biol 17(6):690-6 Details 2003Landgraf M, Jeffrey V, Fujioka M, Jaynes JB, Bate M (2003), “Embryonic origins of a motor system: motor dendrites form a myotopic map in Drosophila.” PLoS Biol 1(2):E41 Details Landgraf M, Sánchez-Soriano N, Technau GM, Urban J, Prokop A (2003), “Charting the Drosophila neuropile: a strategy for the standardised characterisation of genetically amenable neurites.” Dev Biol 260(1):207-25 Details Zlatic M, Landgraf M, Bate M (2003), “Genetic specification of axonal arbors: atonal regulates robo3 to position terminal branches in the Drosophila nervous system.” Neuron 37(1):41-51 Details |