Topic: axon initial segment

This meeting examines how the axon initial segment controls neuronal firing and polarized transport. The programme connects axo-axonic synapses and human neuronal physiology with cytoskeletal organization, development, disease and activity-dependent plasticity. Approaches include electrophysiology, proteomics, nanoscale and ultrafast imaging, computational modelling and CRISPR perturbation. Discussions consider how ion channels, molecular scaffolds and synaptic inputs jointly regulate excitability. Sessions begin at 09:00 on 7 December and 09:30 on 8 December 2026, in GMT (Europe/London, UTC+

GABAergic interneurons are chiefly responsible for controlling the activity of local circuits in the cortex. Chandelier cells (ChCs) are a type of GABAergic interneuron that control the output of hundreds of neighbouring pyramidal cells through axo-axonic synapses which target the axon initial segment (AIS). Despite their importance in modulating circuit activity, our knowledge of the development and function of axo-axonic synapses remains elusive. We have investigated the emergence and plasticity of axo-axonic synapses in layer 2/3 of the somatosensory cortex (S1) and found that ChCs follow w

Can alterations in experience trigger different plastic modifications in neuronal structure and function, and if so, how do they integrate at the cellular level? To address this question, we interrogated circuitry in the mouse olfactory bulb responsible for the earliest steps in odor processing. We induced experience-dependent plasticity in mice of either sex by blocking one nostril for one day, a minimally invasive manipulation that leaves the sensory organ undamaged and is akin to the natural transient blockage suffered during common mild rhinal infections. We found that such brief sensory d