We are interested in understanding heterocellular biophysical interactions between key cell types in the heart, both in healthy myocardium and following cardiac remodeling post-injury. More specifically, we study the functional relevance of non-myocytes for cardiac electrophysiology. To this end, we combine multi-scale structural and functional imaging, electrophysiological measurements, optogenetic approaches and computational modelling. We also develop novel optogenetic tools for modulating the activity of excitable cells, such as our recently established light-gated K⁺ channel system PAC/K.  

Keywords

optogenetics; heterocellular interactions; electrophysiology; cardiac non-myocytes; light-gated K⁺ channel

10 selected publications:

• WiChR, a highly potassium-selective channelrhodopsin for low-light one- and two-photon inhibition of excitable cells.
  Vierock J*, Peter E*, Grimm C*, Rozenberg A, Chen IW, Tillert L, Castro Scalise AG, Casini M, Augustin S, Tanese D, Forget BC, Peyronnet R, Schneider-Warme F, Emiliani V, Béjà O, Hegemann P.
  Sci Adv 2022/8:eadd7729. [PMID: 36383037]
• Novel insights into the electrophysiology of murine cardiac macrophages: relevance of voltage-gated potassium channels.
  Simon-Chica A, Fernández MC, Wülfers EM, Lother A, Hilgendorf I, Seemann G, Ravens U, Kohl P, Schneider-Warme F.
  Cardiovasc Res 2022/118(3):798-813 [PMID: 33823533]
• Cardiac Electrophysiological Effects of Light-Activated Chloride Channels.
  Kopton RA, Baillie JS, Rafferty SA, Moss R, Zgierski-Johnston CM, Prykhozhij SV, Stoyek MR, Smith F, Kohl P, Quinn TA, Schneider-Warme F.
  Front Physiol 2018/9:1806 [PMID: 30618818]
• Potassium channel-based optogenetic silencing.
  Bernal Sierra YA*, Rost BR*, Pofahl M*, Fernandes AM, Kopton RA, Moser S, Holtkamp D, Masala N, Beed P, Tukker JJ, Oldani S, Bönigk W, Kohl P, Baier H, Schneider-Warme F, Hegemann P, Beck H, Seifert R, Schmitz D.
  Nat Commun 2018/9(1):4611 [PMID: 30397200]
• Optogenetic Tools for Subcellular Applications in Neuroscience.
  Rost BR*, Schneider-Warme F*, Schmitz D, Hegemann P.
  Neuron 2017/96(3):572-603 [PMID: 29096074]
• Optogenetic targeting of cardiac myocytes and non-myocytes: Tools, challenges and utility.
  Johnston CM*, Rog-Zielinska EA*, Wülfers EM, Houwaart T, Siedlecka U, Naumann A, Nitschke R, Knöpfel T, Kohl P, Schneider-Warme F.
  Prog Biophys Mol Biol 2017/130(Pt B):140-149 [PMID: 28919131]
• Optogenetic acidification of synaptic vesicles and lysosomes.
  Rost BR*, Schneider F*, Grauel MK, Wozny C, Bentz C, Blessing A, Rosenmund T, Jentsch TJ, Schmitz D, Hegemann P, Rosenmund C.
  Nat Neurosci 2015/18(12):1845-1852 [PMID: 26551543]
• Biophysics of Channelrhodopsin.
  Schneider F, Grimm C, Hegemann P.
  Annu Rev Biophys 2015/44:167-86 [PMID: 26098512]
• Conversion of channelrhodopsin into a light-gated chloride channel.
  Wietek J*, Wiegert JS*, Adeishvili N, Schneider F, Watanabe H, Tsunoda SP, Vogt A, Elstner M, Oertner TG, Hegemann P.
  Science 2014/344(6182):409-12 [PMID: 24674867]
• Neocortical excitation/inhibition balance in information processing and social dysfunction.
  Yizhar O*, Fenno LE*, Prigge M, Schneider F, Davidson TJ, O'Shea DJ, Sohal VS, Goshen I, Finkelstein J, Paz JT, Stehfest K, Fudim R, Ramakrishnan C, Huguenard JR, Hegemann P, Deisseroth K.
  Nature 2011/477(7363):171-8 [PMID: 21796121]