lab

The development of cerebellar function and its role in sensorimotor integration

Lab Head: Martijn-Schonewille

Lab Description

The perfect execution of a voluntary movement requires the appropriate integration of current bodily state, sensory input and desired outcome. To assure that this motor output becomes and remains appropriate, the brain needs to learn from the result of previous outputs. The cerebellum plays a central role in sensorimotor integration, yet -despite decades of studies- there is no generally excepted theory for cerebellar functioning. Our previous work (Zhou et al., 2014) demonstrated that cerebellar modules, identified based on anatomical connectivity and gene expression, differ distinctly in spike activity properties. It is the lab's long-term goal to identify the ontogeny of anatomical and physiological differences between modules, and their functional consequences. The working hypothesis is that these differences can explain existing controversies, and unify contradicting results into one central theory.

We aim to test this working hypothesis in several steps:


1. Identify the development of connectivity and activity patterns at the input stage of the cerebellar cortex in relation to the cerebellar modules.

2. Relate the differences in gene expression levels between modules to differences in morphology, activity and plasticity in juvenile mice.

3. Determine how module specific output develops in relation to behavior and what the effect of module specific mutations is on cerebellum-dependent motor tasks and higher order functions.

4. Evaluate the pattern of phenotype development in cerebellum-related disorders

To this end we will make us of a wide variety of research techniques, including: behavioral analyses, in vivo electrophysiology, (rabies) viral tracing, two-photon imaging, in vitro electrophysiology, immunohistochemistry and genomics and proteomics approaches.

With this work we aim to reveal how distinct difference between cerebellar modules develop, and how this ensemble ensures proper cerebellar information processing for optimal coordination of timing and force of movements.

Lab Members

Martijn Schonewille
Dr. Martijn Schonewille (M)
Associate Professor
Lab Head
Catarina Osorio
Dr. Catarina Osorio
Assistant Professor
Joshua White
Dr. Joshua White
Postdoctoral Fellow
Friederike Stephani
Dr. Friederike Stephani
Postdoctoral Fellow
Hei Ling Lu
Hei Ling Lu
Phd Student
Gerco Beekhof
Mr. Gerco Beekhof
Phd Student
Iris van den Heuvel
Iris van den Heuvel
Master Student
Helena Grau Ricos
Helena Grau Ricos
Master Student
Daniela Martin Machado
Daniela Martin Machado
Master Student
Mariia Kolesnyk
Mariia Kolesnyk
Master Student
Hafsa Akaouche
Hafsa Akaouche
Master Student
Myrthe Griffioen
Myrthe Griffioen
Master Student
Mariska van Mullekom
Mariska van Mullekom
Laura Post
Laura Post
Research Technician
Marijn Botermans
Marijn Botermans

Recent Publications

Lobule-Related Action Potential Shape- and History-Dependent Current Integration in Purkinje Cells of Adult and Developing Mice.

Beekhof GC, Schonewille M
in Cells 2023
DOI: 10.3390/cells12040623

cAMP-EPAC-PKCε-RIM1α signaling regulates presynaptic long-term potentiation and motor learning.

Wang XT, Zhou L, Dong BB, Xu FX, Wang DJ, Shen EW, Cai XY, Wang Y, Wang N, Ji SJ, Chen W, Schonewille M, Zhu JJ, De Zeeuw CI, Shen Y
in eLife 2023
DOI: 10.7554/eLife.80875

Purkinje cell microzones mediate distinct kinematics of a single movement.

Blot FGC, White JJ, van Hattem A, Scotti L, Balaji V, Adolfs Y, Pasterkamp RJ, De Zeeuw CI, Schonewille M
in Nature communications 2023
DOI: 10.1038/s41467-023-40111-5

Reply to Piochon et al.: NMDARs in Purkinje cells are not involved in parallel fiber-Purkinje cell synaptic plasticity or motor learning.

Schonewille M, Girasole AE, De Zeeuw CI, Bouvier G
in Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America 2022
DOI: 10.1073/pnas.2120480119

Tsc1 Haploinsufficiency Leads to Pax2 Dysregulation in the Developing Murine Cerebellum

Ines Serra, Ana Stravs, Catarina Osório, Maria Roa Oyaga, Martijn Schonewille, Christian Tudorache, and Aleksandra Badura
in Front Mol Neurosci. 2022
DOI: 10.3389/fnmol.2022.831687

Postsynaptic plasticity of Purkinje cells in mice is determined by molecular identity.

Voerman S, Urbanus BHA, Schonewille M, White JJ, De Zeeuw CI
in Communications biology 2022
DOI: 10.1038/s42003-022-04283-y

Adult gene reinstatement restores the learning and plasticity deficits of knockout mice.

Rigter PMF, Wallaard I, Aghadavoud Jolfaei M, Kingma J, Post L, Elgersma M, Elgersma Y, van Woerden GM
in iScience 2022
DOI: 10.1016/j.isci.2022.105303

Olivocerebellar control of movement symmetry.

Romano V, Zhai P, van der Horst A, Mazza R, Jacobs T, Bauer S, Wang X, White JJ, De Zeeuw CI
in Current biology : CB 2022
DOI: 10.1016/j.cub.2021.12.020

Purkinje Cell Activity Resonation Generates Rhythmic Behaviors at the Preferred Frequency of 8 Hz.

Bauer S, van Wingerden N, Jacobs T, van der Horst A, Zhai P, Betting JLF, Strydis C, White JJ, De Zeeuw CI, Romano V
in Biomedicines 2022
DOI: 10.3390/biomedicines10081831

Region-specific preservation of Purkinje cell morphology and motor behavior in the ATXN1[82Q] mouse model of spinocerebellar ataxia 1.

White JJ, Bosman LWJ, Blot FGC, Osório C, Kuppens BW, Krijnen WHJJ, Andriessen C, De Zeeuw CI, Jaarsma D, Schonewille M
in Brain pathology (Zurich, Switzerland) 2021
DOI: 10.1111/bpa.12946

Protein phosphatase 2B dual function facilitates synaptic integrity and motor learning.

Lin Z, Wu B, Paul MW, Li KW, Yao Y, Smal I, Onori MP, Hasanbegovic H, Bezstarosti K, Demmers J, Houtsmuller AB, Meijering E, Hoebeek FE, Schonewille M, Smit AB, Gao Z, De Zeeuw CI
in The Journal of neuroscience : the official journal of the Society for Neuroscience 2021
DOI: 10.1523/JNEUROSCI.1741-20.2021

Differential spatiotemporal development of Purkinje cell populations and cerebellum-dependent sensorimotor behaviors.

Beekhof GC, Osório C, White JJ, van Zoomeren S, van der Stok H, Xiong B, Nettersheim IH, Mak WA, Runge M, Fiocchi FR, Boele HJ, Hoebeek FE, Schonewille M
in eLife 2021
DOI: 10.7554/eLife.63668

NMDARs in granule cells contribute to parallel fiber-Purkinje cell synaptic plasticity and motor learning.

Schonewille M, Girasole AE, Rostaing P, Mailhes-Hamon C, Ayon A, Nelson AB, Triller A, Casado M, De Zeeuw CI, Bouvier G
in Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America 2021
DOI: 10.1073/pnas.2102635118

Activity of Cerebellar Nuclei Neurons Correlates with ZebrinII Identity of Their Purkinje Cell Afferents.

Beekhof GC, Gornati SV, Canto CB, Libster AM, Schonewille M, De Zeeuw CI, Hoebeek FE
in Cells 2021
DOI: 10.3390/cells10102686

Sphingolipid metabolism governs Purkinje cell patterned degeneration in Atxn1[82Q]/+ mice

blot
in 2021
DOI: 2016969118
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Vacancies

PhD in Neuroscience studying sensorimotor control

Schonewille Lab in the dept. of Neuroscience · Netherlands

Title The role of genetic differentiation in cerebellar control of behavior studied using anatomical, physiological, opto-/chemogenetic and behavioral approaches. Job description The Schonewille lab is looking for a PhD student to study how different subpopulations of neurons in the cerebel...

  • Full Time
  • DATE POSTED: 25 Aug 2023