We study molecular mechanisms of neuronal communication with a particular focus on synaptic plasticity, sensory physiology, and the operation of neuronal circuits in the context of adaptive behaviour. To this end, we engage neuro- and optogenetic approaches, electrophysiology, behavioural readouts, and super-resolution light microscopy. Use the links to find out more about our current projects.

  • Mancini N#, Thoener J, Tafani E, Pauls D, Mayseless O, Strauch M, Eichler K, Champion A, Kobler O, Weber D, Sen E, Weiglein A, Hartenstein V, Thum AS, Rohwedder A, Schleyer M, Gerber B#.   
    Rewarding capacity of optogenetically activating a giant GABAergic central-brain interneuron in larval Drosophila.  
    J Neurosci. 2023. in press.
  • Weichard I, Taschenberger H, Gsell F, Bornschein G,  Ritzau-Jost A, Schmidt H, Kittel RJ, Eilers J, Neher E, Hallermann S#, Nerlich J#.   
    Fully-primed slowly-recovering vesicles mediate presynaptic LTP at neocortical neurons. 
    Proc Natl Acad Sci USA. 2023. 120:43.
  • Rozenfeld E*, Ehmann N*, Manoim JE, Kittel RJ#, Parnas M#.   
    Homeostatic synaptic plasticity rescues neural coding reliability.  
    Nat Commun. 2023. 14:2993.
  • Paul MM*, Dannhäuser S*, Morris L*, Mrestani A*, Hübsch M, Gehring J, Hatzopoulos GN, Pauli M, Auger GM, Bornschein G, Scholz N, Ljaschenko D, Müller M, Sauer M, Schmidt H, Kittel RJ, DiAntonio A, Vakonakis I, Heckmann M#, Langenhan T#.   
    The human cognition-enhancing CORD7 mutation increases active zone number and synaptic release.  
    Brain. 2022. 145:11.
  • Martin C#, Jahn H, Klein M, Hammel JU, Stevenson PA, Homberg U, Mayer G#.    
    The velvet worm brain unveils homologies and evolutionary novelties across panarthropods.  
    BMC Biol. 2022. 20:26.
  • Mrestani A*, Pauli M*, Kollmannsberger P, Repp F, Kittel RJ, Eilers J, Doose S, Sauer M, Sirén A-L, Heckmann M#, Paul MMP#.    
    Active zone compaction in presynaptic homeostatic potentiation.  
    Cell Rep. 2021. 37:109770.
  • Yang S*, Constantin OM*, Sachidanandan D*, Hofmann H, Kunze TC, Kozjak-Pavlovice V, Oertner TG, Nagel G, Kittel RJ#, Gee CE*#, Gao S*​​​​​​​#.    
    PACmn for improved optogenetic control of intracellular cAMP.  
    BMC Biol. 2021. 19:227.
  • Borstel KJ, Stevenson PA.   
    Individual Scores for Associative Learning in a Differential Appetitive Olfactory Paradigm Using Binary Logistic Regression Analysis.  
    Front Behav Neurosci. 2021. 15:741439. 
  • Pauls D#, Selcho M, Räderscheidt J, Amatobi KM, Fekete A, Kriscke M, Hermann-Luibl C, Ozbek-Unal AG, Ehmann N, Itskov PM, Kittel RJ, Helfrich-Förster C, Kühnlein RP, Mueller MJ, Wegener C#.    
    Endocrine signals fine-tune daily activity patterns in Drosophila.  
    Curr Biol. 2021. 31:4076-4087.e5.
  • Balsam JS, Stevenson PA.   
    Agonistic experience during development establishes inter‐individual differences in approach‐avoidance behaviour of crickets.  
    Sci Rep. 2021. 11:16702. 
  • Dannhäuser S, Lux TJ, Hu C, Selcho M, Chen JT-C, Ehmann N, Sachidanandan D, Stopp S, Pauls D, Pawlak M, Langenhan T, Soba P, Rittner HL#, Kittel RJ#
    Antinociceptive modulation by the adhesion GPCR CIRL promotes mechanosensory signal discrimination.
    eLife. 2020. 9:e56738. 
  • Meloni I, Sachidanandan D, Thum AS, Kittel RJ, Murawski C.  
    Smartphone optogenetics: Controlling the behaviour of Drosophila melanogaster using smartphone displays. 
    Sci Rep. 2020. 10:17614. 
  • Scheiner R#, Frantzmann F, Jäger M, Mitesser O, Helfrich-Förster C, Pauls D#
    A novel thermal-visual place learning paradigm for honeybees.
    Front Behav Neurosci. accepted.
  • Balsam JS, Stevenson PA.
    Pre-adult aggression and its long-term behavioural consequences in crickets.
    PLoS ONE. 2020. 15(3):1-18.
  • Ehmann, N.#; Pauls, D#.
    Optogenetics: Illuminating neuronal circuits of memory formation.
    J Neurogenet. 2020. 7:1-8.
  • Scholz N*, Ehmann N*, Sachidanandan D, Imig C, Cooper BH, Jahn O, Reim K, Brose N, Meyer J, Lamberty M, Altrichter S, Bormann A, Hallermann S, Pauli M, Heckmann M, Stigloher C, Langenhan T#, Kittel RJ#
    Complexin cooperates with Bruchpilot to tether synaptic vesicles to the active zone cytomatrix.
    J Cell Biol. 2019. 218:1011-1026. 
  • Blanco-Redondo B, Nuwal N, Kneitz S, Nuwal T, Halder P, Liu Y, Ehmann N, Scholz N, Mayer A, Kleber J, Kähne T, Schmitt D, Sadanandappa MK, Funk N, Albertova V, Helfrich-Förster C, Ramaswami M, Hasan G, Kittel RJ, Langenhan T, Gerber B, Buchner E.
    Implications of the Sap47 null mutation for synapsin phosphorylation, longevity, climbing proficiency and behavioural plasticity in adult Drosophila.
    J Exp Biol. 2019. 222:19. 
  • Huetteroth W#, Pauls D#.  
    Editorial overview - Neurogenetics of insect behaviour: ethology touching base with the scaffold of life. 
    Curr Opin Insect Sci. 2019. 36:iii-iv. 
  • Selcho M#, Pauls D#
    Linking feeding relevant behaviors to physiological processes by octopamine. 
    Curr Opin Insect Sci. 2019. 36:125-130.
  • Stevenson PA#, Rillich J#
    Fight or flee? Lessons from insects on aggression. 
    Neuroforum. 2019. 25(1). Cover page
  • Stevenson PA. 
    Aggression. 
    In Encyclopedia of Animal Cognition and Behavior, eds. Vonk J, Shackelford TK. Springer, Berlin. 2019. ISBN 978-3-319-55064-0. 
  • Rillich J, Rillich B, Stevenson PA. 
    Differential modulation of courtship behavior and subsequent aggression by octopamine, dopamine and serotonin in male crickets
    Horm Behav. 2019. 14:104542. Cover page

  • Beck S*, Yu-Strzelczyk J*, Pauls D, Constantin OM, Gee CE, Ehmann N, Kittel RJ, Nagel G#, Gao S#
    Synthetic light-activated ion channels for optogenetic activation and inhibition.
    Front Neurosci. 2018. 12:643. 
  • Knebel D, Rillich J, Ayali A, Pflüger HJ, Rigosi E. 
    Ex vivo recordings reveal desert locust forelimb control is asymmetric.
    Curr Biol. 2018. 28(22):R1290-R1291. 
  • Rillich J, Stevenson PA. 
    Serotonin mediates depression of aggression after acute and chronic social defeat stress in a model insect​​​​​​​.
    Front Behav Neurosci. 2018. 12:223. 
  • Golov Y, Harari A, Rillich J, Ayali A. 
    Precopulatory behavior and sexual conflict in the desert locust​​​​​​​​​​​​​​.
    PeerJ. 2018. 6(4):e4356. 
  • Knebel D, Wörner J, Rillich J, Nadler L, Ayali A, Couzin-Fuchs E. 
    The subesophageal ganglion modulates locust inter-leg sensory-motor interactions via contralateral pathways​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​.
    J Insect Physiol. 2018. 107. 
  • Wulff NC, Schöneich S, Lehmann GUC. 
    Female perception of copulatory courtship by male titillators in a bushcricket​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​.
    Proc Biol Sci. 2018. 285(1884)pii:20181235. 
  • Hedwig B, Schöneich S, Kostarakos K. 
    A neural circuit for song pattern recognition in the cricket brain​​​​​​​.
    J Acoust Soc Am. 2018. 143(3):1858. 
  • Ehmann N#, Owald D#, Kittel RJ#
    Drosophila active zones: from molecules to behaviour.
    Neurosci Res. 2017. 127:14–24. 
  • Scholz N*, Guan C*, Nieberler M*, Grotemeyer A*, Maiellaro I, Gao S, Beck S, Pawlak M, Sauer M, Asan E, Rothemund S, Winkler J, Prömel S, Nagel G, Langenhan T#, Kittel RJ#
    Mechano-dependent signaling by Latrophilin/CIRL quenches cAMP in proprioceptive neurons.
    eLife. 2017. 6:e28360. See accompanying comment by W.A. Johnson.
  • Martin C, Gross V, Hering L, Tepper B, Jahn H, de Sena Oliveira I, Stevenson PA, Mayer G. 
    The nervous and visual systems of onchychophorans and tardigrades: Learning about  arthropod evolution from their closest relatives.
    J Comp Physiol A. 2017. 203:565-590. Invited review
  • Rose J, Cullen D, Simpson SJ and Stevenson PA. 
    Born to win or bred to lose - aggressive and submissive behavioural profiles in crickets.
    Animal Behaviour. 2017. 123:441-450.   
  • Martin C, Gross V, Pflüger HJ, Stevenson PA, Mayer G. 
    Assessing segmental versus non-segmental features in the ventral nervous system of onychophorans (velvet worms).​​​​​​​
    BMC Evolutionary Biology. 2017. 17(3):1-22.  
  • Rillich J, Stevenson PA. 
    Losing without fighting - Simple aversive stimulation induces submissiveness typical for social defeat via the action of nitric oxide, but only when preceded by an aggression priming stimulus​​​​​​​.​​​​​​​
    Front Behav Neurosci. 2017. 11:1-15. 
  • Stevenson PA, Rillich J. 
    Neuromodulators and the Control of Aggression in Crickets​​​​​​​.​​​​​​​
    In: Horch, H.W., Mito, T., Popadic, A., Ohuhi, H., Noji, S. (Eds.), The Cricket as a Model Organism. Springer, New York Berlin. 2017. 169-196. 
  • Rose J, Rillich J, Stevenson PA. 
    Chronic social defeat induces long-term behavioral depression of aggressive motivation in an invertebrate model system​​​​​​​.​​​​​​​
    PLoS ONE. 2017. 12(9): e0184121. 
  • Knebel D, Ayali A, Pflüger H-J, Rillich J. 
    Rigidity and Flexibility: The Central Basis of Inter-Leg Coordination in the Locust​​​​​​​​​​​​​​.​​​​​​​
    Frontiers in Neural Circuits. 2017. 10(125). 
  • Scherberich J*, Hummel J*, Schöneich S#, Nowotny M#
    Functional basis of the sexual dimorphism in the auditory fovea of the duetting bushcricket Ancylecha fenestrata​​​​​​​​​​​​​​.​​​​​​​
    Proceedings of the Royal Society B. 2017. 284:20171426. 
  • Schöneich S, Hedwig B. 
    Chapter 10: Neurons and networks underlying singing behaviour​​​​​​​.​​​​​​​
    In: Horch HW et al. (eds) The Cricket as a Model Organism. Springer, Tokyo. 2017. 141-153. 
  • Maiellaro I#, Lohse MJ, Kittel RJ#, Calebiro D#
    cAMP signals in Drosophila motor neurons are confined to single synaptic boutons.
    Cell Rep. 2016. 17:1238–1246. 
  • Scholz N#, Monk KR, Kittel RJ, Langenhan T#
    Adhesion GPCRs as a putative class of metabotropic mechanosensors.
    Handb Exp Pharmacol. 2016. 234:221–247. 
  • Nieberler M, Kittel RJ, Petrenko AG, Lin HH, Langenhan T. 
    Control of adhesion GPCR function through proteolytic processing.
    Handb Exp Pharmacol. 2016. 234:83–109. 
  • Kittel RJ#, Heckmann M#
    Synaptic vesicle proteins and active zone plasticity​​​​​​​.
    Front Synaptic Neurosci. 2016. 8:8. 
  • Riemensperger T, Kittel RJ, Fiala A. 
    Optogenetics in Drosophila neuroscience​​​​​​​.
    Methods Mol Biol. 2016. 1408:167–175. 
  • Stevenson PA, Rillich J. 
    Controlling the decision to fight or flee: the roles of biogenic amines and nitric oxide in the cricket​​​​​​​​​​​​​​.
    Current Zoology. 2016. 62:265-275. Cover image
  • Scherberich J*, Hummel J*, Schöneich S#, Nowotny M#
    Auditory fovea in the ear of a duetting katydid shows male-specific adaptation to the female call​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​.
    Current Biology. 2016. 26(23):R1222-R1223. 
  • Hummel J, Schöneich S, Kössl M, Scherberich J, Hedwig B, Prinz S, Nowotny M. 
    Gating of acoustic transducer channels is shaped by biomechanical filter processes​​​​​​​.
    J Neurosci. 2016. 36(8):2377-2382. 
  • Beck K, Ehmann N, Andlauer TF, Ljaschenko D, Strecker K, Fischer M, Kittel RJ, Raabe T. 
    Loss of the Coffin-Lowry syndrome associated gene RSK2 alters ERK activity, synaptic function and axonal transport in Drosophila motoneurons.
    Dis Model Mech. 2015. 11:1389–1400.
  • Scholz N*, Gehring J*, Guan C*, Ljaschenko D, Fischer R, Lakshmanan V, Kittel RJ#, Langenhan T#
    The Adhesion GPCR Latrophilin/CIRL shapes mechanosensation.
    Cell Rep. 2015. 11:866–874.
  • Ehmann N, Sauer M#, Kittel RJ#
    Super-resolution microscopy of the synaptic active zone.
    Front Cell Neurosci. 2015. 9:7.
  • Paul MM, Pauli M, Ehmann N, Hallermann S, Sauer M, Kittel RJ#, Heckmann M#
    Bruchpilot and Synaptotagmin collaborate to drive rapid glutamate release and active zone differentiation​​​​​​​.
    Front Cell Neurosci. 2015. 9:29.
  • Simpson SJ and Stevenson PA. 
    Modulation of Social Behaviour in Insects​​​​​​​.
    In:  Canli, T. (Ed.) The Oxford Handbook of Molecular Psychology. Oxford, New York, Oxford University Press. 2015. Invited chapter.
  • Beckmann H, Hering L, Heinze JM, Kelber A, Stevenson PA and Mayer G. 
    Spectral sensitivity in Onychophora (velvet worms) revealed by electroretinograms, phototactic  behaviour and opsin gene expression​​​​​​​​​​​​​​.
    J Exp Biol. 2015. 218:915-922. Cover image
  • Mayer G, Hering L, Stosch J, Stevenson PA and Dircksen H. 
    Evolution of pigment-dispersing factor neuropeptides in panarthropoda: Insights from Onychophora (velvet worms) and Tardigrada (water bears)​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​.
    J Comp Neurol. 2015. 523:1865-85. Cover image
  • Rillich J and Stevenson PA. 
    Releasing stimuli and aggression in crickets: octopamine promotes escalation and maintenance but not initiation​​​​​​​.
    Front Behav Neurosci. 2015. 9/95:1-11.  
  • Stevenson PA and Rillich. 
    Adding up the odds - nitric oxide underlies the decision to flee and post conflict depression​​​​​​​​​​​​​​.
    Science Advances. 2015. 1:e1500060.  
  • Schöneich S, Kostarakos K, Hedwig B. 
    An auditory feature detection circuit for sound pattern recognition​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​.
    Science Advances. 2015. 1:e1500325.  
  • ter Hofstede HM*, Schöneich S*, Robillard T#, Hedwig B#
    Evolution of a communication system by sensory exploitation of startle behavior​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​.
    Curr Biol. 2015. 25(24):3245-3252.
  • Schöneich S, Hedwig B. 
    Corollary discharge inhibition of wind-sensitive cercal giant fibers in the singing field cricket​​​​​​​.
    J Neurophysiol. 2015. 113(1):390-399.
  • Hummel J, Schöneich S, Hedwig B, Kössl M, Nowotny M. 
    Mechanical and electrical tuning in a tonotopically organized insect ear​​​​​​​.
    In: Mechanics of Hearing. Eds: Karavitaki KD, Corey DP; AIP Publishing LLC; Melville, New York. 2015. 1703(100001):1-4. 
  • Dawydow A*, Gueta R*, Ljaschenko D, Ullrich S, Hermann M, Ehmann N, Gao S, Fiala A, Langenhan T, Nagel G#, Kittel RJ#
    Channelrhodopsin-2-XXL, a powerful optogenetic tool for low light applications.
    Proc Natl Acad Sci USA. 2014. 111:13972–13977.
  • van de Linde S, Ehmann N, Kittel RJ#, Sauer M#
    Quantitatives Imaging durch molekulare Auflösung​​​​​​​.
    BIOspektrum USA​​​​​​​. 2014. 6:618–621.
  • Ehmann N*, van de Linde S*, Alon A, Ljaschenko D, Keung XZ, Holm T, Rings A, DiAntonio A, Hallermann S, Ashery U, Heckmann M, Sauer M#, Kittel RJ#
    Quantitative super-resolution imaging of Bruchpilot distinguishes active zone states​​​​​​​.
    Nat Commun​​​​​​​. 2014. 5:4650–4661.
  • Rillich J and Stevenson PA. 
    A fighter’s comeback: dopamine is necessary for recovery of aggression after social defeat​​​​​​​​​​​​​​.
    Hormones and Behavior​​​​​​​. 2014. 66:696-704. Cover image.
  • Helm C, Stevenson PA and Bleidorn C. 
    The neuroanatomy of Myzostoma cirriferum (Myzostomida, Annelida) revealed by cLSM – further implications supporting a segmented myzostomid ancestry​​​​​​​​​​​​​​.
    Zoomorphology​​​​​​​. 2014. 133:257-271.
  • Ljaschenko D, Ehmann N, Kittel RJ. 
    Hebbian plasticity guides maturation of glutamate receptor fields in vivo.
    Cell Rep. 2013. 3:1407–1413.
  • Araç D, Aust G, Calebiro D, Engel FB, Formstone C, Goffinet A, Hamann J, Kittel RJ, Liebscher I, Lin H-H, Monk KR, Petrenko A, Piao X, Prömel S, Schiöth HB, Schwartz TW, Stacey M, Ushkaryov YA, Wobus M, Wolfrum U, Xu L, Langenhan T. 
    Dissecting signaling and functions of adhesion G protein-coupled receptors​​​​​​​​​​​​​​.
    Ann N Y Acad Sci. 2012. 1276:1–25.
  • Hallermann S*, Kittel RJ*, Wichmann C*, Weyhersmüller A, Fouquet W, Mertel S, Owald D, Eimer S, Depner H, Schwärzel M, Sigrist SJ#, Heckmann M#
    Naked dense bodies provoke depression.
    J Neurosci. 2010. 30:14340-14345.
  • Hallermann S#, Heckmann M, Kittel RJ#
    Mechanisms of short-term plasticity at neuromuscular active zones of Drosophila.
    HFSP J. 2010. 4:72-84.
  • Bachmann A*, Kobler O*, Kittel RJ, Wichmann C, Sierralta J, Sigrist SJ, Gundelfinger ED, Knust E, Thomas U. 
    A Perisynaptic ménage à trois between Dlg, DLin-7, and Metro controls proper organization of Drosophila synaptic junctions.
    J Neurosci. 2010. 30:5811-5824.
  • Fouquet W*,Owald D*,Wichmann C, Mertel S, Depner H, Dyba M, Hallermann S, Kittel RJ, Eimer S, Sigrist SJ. 
    Maturation of active zone assembly by Drosophila Bruchpilot.
    J Cell Biol. 2009. 186:129-145.
  • Schmid A*, Hallermann S*, Kittel RJ, Khorramshahi O, Frölich AM, Quentin C, Rasse TM, Mertel S, Heckmann M, Sigrist SJ. 
    Activity-dependent site-specific changes of glutamate receptor composition in vivo.
    Nat Neurosci. 2008. 11:659-666.
  • Besse F, Mertel S, Kittel RJ, Wichmann C, Rasse TM, Sigrist SJ#, Ephrussi A#
    The Ig cell adhesion molecule Basigin controls compartmentalization and vesicle release at Drosophila melanogaster synapses.
    J Cell Biol. 2007. 177:843-855.
  • Schmid A*, Qin G*, Wichmann C, Kittel RJ, Mertel S, Fouquet W, Schmidt M, Heckmann M, Sigrist SJ. 
    Non NMDA type glutamate receptors are essential for maturation but not for initial assembly of synapses at Drosophila NMJs.
    J Neurosci. 2006. 26:11267-11277.
  • Kittel RJ, Hallermann S, Thomsen S, Wichmann C, Sigrist SJ, Heckmann M. 
    Active zone assembly and synaptic release.
    Biochem Soc Trans. 2006. 34:944-946.
  • Kittel RJ*, Wichmann C*, Rasse TM*, Fouquet W, Schmidt M, Schmid A, Wagh DA, Pawlu C, Kellner RR, Willig KI, Hell SW, Buchner E, Heckmann M#, Sigrist SJ#
    Bruchpilot promotes active zone assembly, Ca2+ channel clustering, and vesicle release​​​​​​​.
    Science. 2006. 312:1051-1054. See accompanying comment by H. L. Atwood.
  • Wagh DA*, Rasse TM*, Asan E, Hofbauer A, Schwenkert I, Dürrbeck H, Buchner S, Dabauvalle MC, Schmidt M, Qin G, Wichmann C, Kittel R, Sigrist SJ, Buchner E. 
    Bruchpilot, a protein with homology to ELKS/CAST, is required for structural integrity and function of synaptic active zones in Drosophila​​​​​​​.
    Neuron. 2006. 49:833-844.
  • Rasse TM, Fouquet W, Schmid A, Kittel RJ, Mertel S, Sigrist CB, Schmidt M, Guzman A, Merino C, Qin G, Quentin C, Madeo FF, Heckmann M#, Sigrist SJ#
    Glutamate receptor dynamics organizing synapse formation in vivo.
    Nat Neurosci. 2005. 8:898-905.
  • Qin G, Schwarz T, Kittel RJ, Schmid A, Rasse TM, Kappei D, Ponimaskin E, Heckmann M, Sigrist SJ. 
    Four different subunits are essential for expressing the synaptic glutamate receptor at neuromuscular junctions of Drosophila​​​​​​​.
    J Neurosci. 2005. 25:3209-3218.

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