Regensburg 2025 – wissenschaftliches Programm

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BP: Fachverband Biologische Physik

BP 34: Statistical Physics in Biological Systems II (joint session DY/BP)

BP 34.3: Vortrag

Freitag, 21. März 2025, 12:15–12:30, H43

A Biophysical Model for Temperature-Sensitivity of Neurons — •Julian Voits¹, Wojciech Ambroziak^2,3, Jan Siemens^2,4, and Ulrich S. Schwarz^1,5 — ¹Institute for Theoretical Physics, University of Heidelberg, Germany — ²Department of Pharmacology, University of Heidelberg, Germany — ³Department of Translational Disease Understanding, Grünenthal GmbH, Aachen, Germany — ⁴Molecular Medicine Partnership Unit (MMPU), European Molecular Biology Laboratory (EMBL), Heidelberg, Germany — ⁵BioQuant-Center for Quantitative Biology, University of Heidelberg, Germany

Control of body temperature is essential for our well-being and especially important during periods of fever or heat acclimation, e.g. due to traveling or climate change. An essential element of body temperature control are temperature-sensitive neurons, particularly warm-sensitive ones in the preoptic area of the hypothalamus. Since the discovery of temperature-sensitive ion channels, it has become clear that the underlying molecular mechanisms are rather diverse. In this work, we introduce a mathematical model based on a reduced version of the Hodgkin-Huxley model that can predict the frequently observed linear dependence of spiking rates on temperature in warm-sensitive neurons. Additionally, we present data showing how neurons adapt to varying temperatures over time, along with evidence of hysteresis in many temperature-sensitive neurons.

Keywords: neurons; temperature; ion channels