Homepage Thomas Berger
University positions
Since 4/08 Assistant professor at the Institute of
Physiology and Pathophysiology of the University Mainz in the
group of Prof. Dr.
Luhmann; Topic: Spontaneous and sensory-evoked network
patterns; Techniques: Patch-clamp recordings and optical imaging.
4/98 - 3/08 University assistant and assistant professor at
the Institute of Physiology
of the University Bern in the
group of Prof. Dr. Lüscher; Topic: Properties and functional
importance of dendritic conductances in neocortical pyramidal
cells; Techniques: Dendritic and somatic patch-clamp recordings
and biocytin-fillings
4/95 - 3/98 Wissenschaftlicher Assistent in the Institute of
Physiology of the University
Freiburg i. Br. in the group of Prof. Dr. Jonas; Topic:
Functional characterisation and molecular determinants of GABAA
receptors and gap junctions in the hippocampal formation ;
Techniques: Patch-clamp recordings and biocytin-fillings on
neurons, fast application of ligands to nucleated patches, paired
recordings in acute slices, single cell - PCR; Leading of a small
group with a predoc and two undergraduates
1/95 - 3/95 Postdoc at the Max-Planck-Institut
für medizinische Forschung Heidelberg, Department
Zellphysiologie in the group of Prof. Dr. Jonas
1992-1994 Postdoc in the Institute of Anatomy
of the University Freiburg i. Br. in the group of Prof. Dr.
Frotscher; Topic: Morphological and electrophysiological
properties of neurons and glial cells in the hilar region of the
hippocampal formation; Techniques: Immunocytochemistry, electron
microscopy, organotypic slice cultures, patch-clamp recordings
and biocytin fillings of neurons and glial cells in acute slices
University education
1988 - 1991 PhD thesis in the Department of Neurobiology of
the University Heidelberg
in the group of Dr. Kettenmann;
Topic: Characterisation of voltage- and ligand-gated ion channels
on glial cells in the acute brain slice with the patch-clamp
technique; Techniques: Patch-clamp recordings on glial cells in
culture and in acute thin slices; Close of the PhD thesis with
"magna cum laude"
1990 - 1991 Predoc fellow of the Boehringer Ingelheim Fonds.
1982 - 1988 Studying biology at the Technical University Darmstadt;
Diploma thesis in the Institute
of Zoology in the group of Prof. Dr. Scheich; Topic: Effects
of excitatory amino acids on the firing pattern of chicken
forebrain neurons; Technique: Extracellular electrophysiology on
acute brain slices
Memberships in scientific societies:
1) Original papers
- Benhassine
N and Berger T (2008) Large-conductance calcium-dependent
potassium channels prevent dendritic excitability in
neocortical pyramidal neurons. Pflugers Arch. Eur. J.
Physiol., doi:10.1007/s00424-008-0569-3; in press.
- Markopoulos
F, Neubauer FB, Berger T and Scotti AL (2008) Reassembling a system from the
sensor to cerebral representation: the olfactory sytem in
vitro. Neuroscience, 156: 1048-1063.
- Neubauer
FB and Berger T (2008) Somatodendritic integration under increased
network activity in layer 5 pyramidal cells of the
somatosensory cortex. Pflugers Arch. Eur. J. Physiol. 455:
1063-1079.
- Berger T,
Borgdorff A, Crochet S, Neubauer FB, Lefort S, Ferezou I,
Carleton A, Lüscher H-R and Petersen CCH (2007) Combined voltage and calcium
imaging in vitro and in vivo reveals
subthreshold and suprathreshold dynamics of mouse barrel
cortex. J. Neurophysiol. 97: 3751-3762.
- Berger T,
Lüscher H-R, and Giugliano M (2006) Transient rhythmic network
activity in the somatosensory cortex evoked by
distributed input in vitro. Neuroscience 140: 1401-1413.
- Benhassine
N and Berger T (2005) Homogeneous distribution of large-conductance
calcium-dependent potassium channels on soma and apical
dendrite of rat neocortical layer 5 pyramidal neurons.
Eur. J. Neurosci. 21: 914-926.
- Berger T
and Lüscher H-R (2004) Associative somatodendritic interaction in
layer V pyramidal neurons is not affected by the
antiepileptic drug lamotrigine. Eur. J. Neurosci. 20:
1688-1693.
- Berger T, Senn W and Lüscher H-R
(2003) The
hyperpolarization-activated current Ih disconnects
somatic and dendritic spike initiation zones in layer V
pyramidal neurons. J. Neurophysiol. 90: 2428-2437. [Komplette Publikation als pdf
Datei]
- Berger T
and Lüscher H-R (2003) Timing and precision of spike initiation in
layer V pyramidal cells of the rat somatosensory cortex.
Cereb. Cortex 13: 274-281 [Komplette Publikation als pdf
Datei]
- Egli M,
Berger T and Imboden H (2002) Angiotensin II influences the
hyperpolarization-activated current Ih in neurones of the
rat paraventricular nucleus. Neurosci. Lett. 330: 53-56.
- Berger T,
Larkum M and Lüscher H-R (2001) High Ih channel density in the
distal apical dendrite of layer V pyramidal cells
increases bidirectional attenuation of EPSPs. J.
Neurophysiol. 85: 855-868. [Komplette Publikation als pdf
Datei]
- Berger T,
Schwarz C, Kraushaar U and Monyer H (1998) Dentate gyrus basket cell GABAA
receptors are blocked by Zn2+ via changes of
their desensitization kinetics: an in situ patch-clamp
and single-cell PCR study. J. Neurosci. 18: 2437-2448. [Komplette Publikation als pdf
Datei]
- Götz T,
Kraushaar U, Geiger JRP, Lübke J, Berger T and Jonas P (1997) Functional properties of AMPA
and NMDA receptors expressed in identified types of basal
ganglia neurons. J. Neurosci. 17: 204-215. [Komplette Publikation als pdf
Datei]
- Chvátal A,
Berger T, Vorísek I, Orkand RK, Kettenmann H and Syková
E (1997)
Changes in glial K+ currents with decreased
extracellular volume in developing rat white matter. J.
Neurosci. Res. 49: 98-106.
- Berger T (1995) AMPA - type glutamate receptors
in glial precursor cells of the rat corpus callosum:
ionic and pharmacological properties. Glia 14: 101-114.
- Backus KH
and Berger T (1995) Developmental variation of the Ca2+
permeability of AMPA receptors in presumed hilar glial
precursor cells. Pflugers Arch. Eur. J. Physiol. 431: 244-252.
- Berger T
and Frotscher M (1994) Distribution and morphological characteristics
of oligodendrocytes in the rat hippocampus in situ
and in vitro: an immunocytochemical study with
the monoclonal Rip antibody. J. Neurocytol. 23: 61-74.
- Steinhäuser
C, Berger T, Frotscher M and Kettenmann H (1992) Heterogeneity in the membrane
current pattern of identified glial cells in the
hippocampal slice. Eur. J. Neurosci. 4: 472-484.
- Müller T,
Möller T, Berger T, Schnitzer J and Kettenmann H (1992) Calcium entry through kainate
receptors and resulting potassium-channel blockade in
Bergmann glial cells. Science 256: 1563-1566.
- Berger T,
Walz W, Schnitzer J and Kettenmann H (1992) GABA- and glutamate-activated
currents in glial cells in the corpus callosum slice. J.
Neurosci. Res. 31: 21-27.
- Berger T,
Walz W, Schnitzer J and Kettenmann H (1992) GABA- and glutamate-activated
currents in glial cells in the corpus callosum slice. J.
Neurosci. Res. 31: 21-27.
- Berger T,
Schnitzer J, Orkand P and Kettenmann H (1992) Sodium and calcium currents in
glial cells of the mouse corpus callosum slice. Eur. J.
Neurosci. 4: 1271-1284.
- Berger T,
Schnitzer J and Kettenmann H (1991) Developmental changes in the
membrane current pattern, K+ buffer capacity
and morphology of glial cells in the corpus callosum
slice. J. Neurosci. 11: 3008-3024. [Komplette
Publikation als pdf Datei]
- Backus KH,
Berger T and Kettenmann H (1991) Activation of neurokinin
receptors modulates K+ and Cl-
channel activity in cultured astrocytes from rat cortex.
Brain Res. 541: 103-109.
Reviews
Book chapters
- Steinhäuser C, Berger T,
Jabs R, Frotscher M and Kettenmann H (1993) Voltage- and
ligand-gated membrane currents of identified glial cells
in the hippocampal slice In: Slow potential changes in
the brain; Haschke W, Roitbak AI and Speckmann E-J (Eds.)
; Birkhäuser, Boston. pp 179-190.
- Berger T and Kettenmann H
(1992) Activation of neurokinin receptors in cultured
astrocytes: a role in K+ homeostasis by
modulating K+ conductances? In: Epilepsy and
Inhibition; Speckmann E-J and Gutnick MJ (Eds.) ; Urban
& Schwarzenberg. pp 189-197.
- Kettenmann H, Backus KH,
Berger TB, Sontheimer H and Schachner M (1990)
Neurotransmitter receptors linked to ion channels in
cultured astrocytes: an electrophysiological approach. In:
Differentiation and func tions of glial cells; Levi G (Ed.);
Alan Liss Inc. pp 203-211.
Copyright: Thomas Berger
1998-2008, Münsingen. Last change: 11/29/08.
