Research Group - Jonas-Frederic Sauer

Research:

Rhythmic breathing not only enables oxygen supply and CO₂ clearance from the body but also drives rhythmic deflections in the local field potential in various brain regions. Initially discovered in the olfactory bulb, recent findings indicate that respiration-driven oscillations are by no means restricted to the olfactory system but resemble a widespread phenomenon that can be observed in various cortical and subcortical structures. In addition to rhythmic field potential signals, the action potentials of cortical and subcortical neurons are also synchronized with respiration, suggesting that the breathing rhythm might provide a timing signal aiding information processing in brain microcircuits. We use local field potential and single-unit recordings in freely moving mice to investigate the functional aspects of respiration-driven neural activities during cognitive behaviour.

Fig. 1: Prefrontal LFPs are synchronized with respiration. Left: Example recording. Right: Power spectra. Reprinted under CC BY 4.0 from Biskamp et al., 2017.

Secondly, we utilize electrophysiological recordings and Ca²⁺-imaging to investigate the dynamics of neocortical activity and how gene mutations influence predisposition to psychiatric conditions using mouse models of psychiatric 'risk gene' mutations.

Funding:

Team members

Publications:

Original papers

• Folschweiller S, Sauer JF (2022) Phase-specific pooling of sparse assembly activity by respiration-related brain oscillations. J Physiol, doi:10.1113/JP282631

• Voss L, Bartos M, Elgueta C*, Sauer JF* (2022) Interneuron function and cognitive behavior are preserved upon postnatal removal of Lhx6. Sci Rep doi: 10.1038/s41598-022-09003-4 *corresponding authors 

• Sauer JF, Folschweiller S, Bartos M (2022) Topographically organized representation of space and context in the medial prefrontal cortex. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A. doi: 10.1073/pnas.2117300119

• Strüber M, Sauer JF, Bartos M (2022) Parvalbumin expressing interneurons control spike-phase coupling of hippocampal cells to theta oscillations. Sci Rep doi: 10.1038/s41598-022-05004-5

• Mossad O, Nent E, Woltemate S, Folschweiller S, Buescher JM, Schnepf D, Erny D, Staeheli P, Bartos M, Szalay A, Stecher B, Vital M, Sauer JF, Lämmermann T, Prinz M, Blank T (2021) Microbiota-dependent increase in delta-valerobetaine alters neuronal function and is responsible for age-related cognitive decline. Nat Aging doi: 10.1038/s43587-021-00141-4

• Sauer JF, Strüber M, Bartos M (2018) Recording spatially restricted oscillations in the hippocampus of behaving mice. J Vis Exp doi: 10.3791/57714

• Ziegler-Waldkirch S, Errico P, Sauer JF, Erny D, Savanthrapadian S, Loreth D, Katzmarski N, Blank T, Bartos M, Prinz M, Meyer-Luehmann M (2017) Seed-induced A-beta deposition is modulated by microglia under environmental enrichment. EMBO Journal, doi: 10.15252/embj.201797021.

• Strüber M, Sauer JF, Jonas P, Bartos M (2017) Distance-dependent inhibition supports focality of gamma oscillations. Nature Commun. doi: 10.1038/s41467-017-00936-3.

• Biskamp J, Bartos M, Sauer JF (2017) Organization of prefrontal network activity by respiration-related oscillations. Sci Rep 7:45508

• Sauer JF, Strüber M, Bartos M (2015) Impaired fast-spiking interneuron function in a genetic mouse model of depression. eLife 2015;10.7554/eLife.04979

• Sauer J-F, Strüber M, Bartos M (2012) Interneurons provide circuit-specific depolarization and hyperpolarization. J Neurosci 32:4224-4229.

• Murray AJ, Sauer J, Mcclure CJ, Cheyne LA, Riedel G, Bartos M, Wisden W, Wulff P (2011) Parvalbumin-positive hippocamapl interneurons are required for spatial working but not reference memory. Nat Neurosci 14:297-299.

• Sauer J-F, Bartos M (2011) Postnatal differentiation of cortical interneuron signalling. Eur J Neurosci 34:1687-1696.

• Sambandan S, Sauer JF, Vida I, Bartos M (2010) Associative plasticity at excitatory synapses facilitates recruitment of fast-spiking interneurons in the dentate gyrus. J Neurosci 30:11826-11837.

• Sauer J, Bartos M (2010) Efficient recruitment of young hippocampal interneurons by early excitatory GABAergic synapses. J Neurosci 30:110-115.

Review articles

• Folschweiller S, Sauer J-F (2022) Controlling neuronal assemblies: a fundamental function of respiration-related brain oscillations in neuronal networks. Pflügers Arch. https://doi.org/10.1007/s00424-022-02708-5  
• Folschweiller S, Sauer J-F (2021) Respiration-driven brain oscillations in emotional cognition. Front Neural Circuits 15:761812.
• Sauer J-F, Bartos M (2011) Postnatal differentiation of cortical interneuron signalling. Eur J Neurosci 34:1687-1696.

Book chapter

• Bartos M, Sauer J, Kulik A, Vida I (2010) Fast and strong inhibition in the hippocampal circuitry. "Hippocampal Microcircuits: A Computational Modeller's Resource Book", Springer (USA). 1st Edition January 2010.