Dresden 2026 – wissenschaftliches Programm
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BP: Fachverband Biologische Physik
BP 7: Poster Session I
BP 7.45: Poster
Montag, 9. März 2026, 15:00–17:00, P5
Investigating the role of the membrane-associated cytoskeleton in neuronal action potential propagation — •Julia Butzke1 and Kristian Franze1,2,3 — 1Chair of Neuronal Mechanics, Medical Institute of Biophysics, Friedrich-Alexander-Universität Erlangen-Nürnberg, Germany — 2Max-Planck-Zentrum für Physik und Medizin, Erlangen, Germany — 3Department of Physiology, Development and Neuroscience, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, UK
During maturation, neuronal axons develop submembraneous F-actin rings as a part of the membrane-associated periodic skeleton (MPS). The MPS has been shown to regulate axon diameter, provide mechanical support and contribute to axonal transport. However, the role of the MPS in successful action potential propagation in single axons is not yet fully understood. In this project, we investigate the impact of submembraneous F-actin rings on the mechanical aspects of action potentials. Using super-resolution microscopy, we study the effect of different F-actin-disrupting drugs on the presence and periodicity of F-actin rings in primary hippocampal mouse neurons. We then use atomic force microscopy to measure the mechanical waves that accompany action potentials in axons with different levels of F-actin ring periodicity. By analysing the possible correlation between F-actin ring periodicity and the propagation properties of the mechanical waves, we will contribute to a better understanding of the mechanical aspects of neuronal signal transmission.
Keywords: neuron; cytoskeleton; action potential; actin