| Budget Amount *help |
¥1,400,000 (Direct Cost: ¥1,400,000)
Fiscal Year 1992: ¥400,000 (Direct Cost: ¥400,000)
Fiscal Year 1991: ¥1,000,000 (Direct Cost: ¥1,000,000)
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| Research Abstract |
Recently many studies have been demonstrated that the development of organic function is plastic and can be affected by alterations of the sensory environment after birth.
Since 1981, I have demonstrated that the plastic development of visual function in the fleshfly and studied to elucidate its mechanism through various methods. The present study at the molecular level is a part of these studies. Already I have found that two biogenic amines and related substances in the optic lobe are contributory to the plasticity of the development of visual function. In the present experiment as second step to explore the molecular mechanism underlying the plastic development and at-tempts to examine, by use of HPLC, whether there are plasticity-specific proteins, peptides and one of neurotransmitter (GABA) in the brain of the fly.
It has been demonstrated that twelve of the 21 proteins and peptides contained in the brain were dependent on visual experience. Two substances of them showed a compensatory increase by the deprivation of visual stimulation.
The amount of GABA in the optic lobe increased significantly from the 3rd day to 5th after emergence in the fly, which reared in normal visual environment, in comparison with the dark-reared flies. The period of the 3rd day to 5th after emergence coincides with the most important time for functional development of visual pattern discrimination (Mimura, 1986, 1987).
It is concluded from these experimental results that the plastic functioning is produced due to modification of synaptic transmission, depending on its activity.
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