| Budget Amount *help |
¥1,900,000 (Direct Cost: ¥1,900,000)
Fiscal Year 1996: ¥800,000 (Direct Cost: ¥800,000)
Fiscal Year 1995: ¥1,100,000 (Direct Cost: ¥1,100,000)
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| Research Abstract |
1) Localization of a G protein in the rat ependymal cilia Go and Gi belong to G proteins that transduce signals from the receptor in the cell membrane to the effectors such as ion channels and enzymes. It has been reported that the G protein present in the ependymal cilia facing the ventricular system of rat brains is Go (Peraldi et al., 1989). However, the present study supported by this grant has clearly shown that Gi2 is characteristically localized in the ciliary membrane of the ependymal cells. In addition, it was revealed that Gi2 was localized in the cilia of the oviduct and trachea, but not in the stereocilia of the ductus deferens. These findings suggest a important role for Gi2 in the ciliary functions in these tissues.
2) Localization of Heme oxygenase-2 (HO-2) in the rat olfactory system The odorants increase the cGMP levels in the olfactory cells. However, the addition of HO-2 inhibitor abolished such an increase in cGMP levels, suggesting that HO-2 may play a role in the olfactory system (Verma et al., 1993). This grant helped us to investigate the localization of HO-2 in the rat olfactory system, using anbibodies raised against a peptide sequence of HO-2. It was found that HO-2 was localized in a variety of cells in both the main and the accessory olfactory pathways, including the olfactory cells, sensory cells in the vomeronasal organ and many neurons in the olfactory bulb. This finding suggests an active involvement of HO-2 in the olfactory system.
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