Armin H. Seidl, Ph.D.

Virginia Merrill Bloedel Hearing Research Center
University of Washington
Box 357923
Seattle, WA 98195

phone: (206) 616-4112
fax: (206) 221-5685
email: armins[a]u.washington.edu

My research interest is focused on the dynamics and mechanisms of axonal map formation of inhibitory neurons in the auditory brainstem.

A main feature of the developing vertebrate nervous system is preservation of neighbor relationships of receptor cells in the sensory epithelium in the topography of projections throughout the nervous system, in both ascending and descending pathways. The lateral superior olive (LSO) is part of the sound localization mechanism in the mammalian brainstem and is well suited for a detailed investigation of the establishment of neuronal maps. The LSO receives tonotopically organized projections from both ears; excitatory ipsilateral projections from the cochlear nucleus and inhibitory glycinergic inputs from the contralateral ear, via the medial nucleus of the trapezoid body (MNTB). It has been shown that this projection can regenerate in culture after it has been disrupted.

In order to study the detailed dynamics of regenerating MNTB neurons into LSO, I deploy organotypic slice cultures and single-cell electroporation of labeling plasmids. This enables us to address multiple questions about the mechanisms of axonal map formation on a single cell level.

Siveke I, Pecka M, Seidl AH, Baudoux S, Grothe B.

Binaural Response Properties of Low-Frequency Neurons in the Gerbil Dorsal Nucleus of the Lateral Lemniscus

J Neurophysiol. 2006 Sep;96(3):1425-40. PubMed

Seidl AH, Grothe B.
Development of sound localization mechanisms in the mongolian gerbil is shaped by early acoustic experience.
J Neurophysiol. 2005 Aug;94(2):1028-36. PubMed

Kapfer C, Seidl AH, Schweizer H, Grothe B.
Experience-dependent refinement of inhibitory inputs to auditory coincidence-detector neurons.
Nat Neurosci. 2002 Mar;5(3):247-53. PubMed