| Project/Area Number |
07680749
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| Research Category |
Grant-in-Aid for Scientific Research (C)
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| Allocation Type | Single-year Grants |
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| Section | 一般 |
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| Research Field |
Molecular biology
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| Research Institution | SOKA UNIVERSITY |
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Principal Investigator |
KONDO Kazunori SOKA UNIVERSITY,DEPARTMENT OF BIOENGINEERING LECTURER, 工学部, 講師 (10211913)
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| Co-Investigator(Kenkyū-buntansha) |
KIMURA Naohiro SOKA UNIVERSITY,DEPARTMENT OF BIOENGINEERING,ASSISTANT PROFESSOR, 工学部, 助教授 (50214888)
FUJITA Hiroshi UNDERGRADUATE STUDENT
WATABE Takeshi UNDERGRADUATE STUDENT
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| Project Period (FY) |
1995 – 1996
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| Project Status |
Completed (Fiscal Year 1996)
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| 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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| Keywords | IMPRINTING / DUCK / DIFFERENTIAL HYBRIDIZATION / LEARNING AND MEMORY / NEMATOD / ECAENORHABDITIS ELEGANS / Tcl INSERTION / 線虫 / C. elegans / 神経 |
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| Research Abstract |
We have been syudying what kind of genes are functioning in the brain during a process in learning and memory using duck imprinting as a model system. We cloned several genes whose expressions in the MHV region of the duck forebrainwere enhance by an imprinting stimuli. Most of them were mitochondrial genes. One of these genes named SPM2, however, turned out to be a member of the short chain alcohol dehydrogenase family. The most homologous gene with SPM2 was 17-beta hydroxysteroy dehydrogenase type3 of human which synthesizes a sex hormone in the testis. But the SPM2 gene expressed mainly in the brain by Northern hybridization analysis. These observations suggested that the function of this gene in the brain might be a synthesis of a neurosteroyd which could affect synaptic functioin. To investigate detailes of this gene, first we have searched mammalian homologues of this gene in mice brain cDNA library. A single spieces of cDNA named mSPM2 with three independent isolates were obtained. The putative amino acid sequence of this gene showed about 60% homology with duck SPM2. We are planning to find out the substrate of this gene.
We also cloned genes exist at the synapse by using autibodies against synapse plasma membrane fraction of duck brain.
In order to investigate the function of those genes obtained, we have selected Caenorhabditis elegans as a model system since we can use genetical techniques in this animal. Genome projects have been found many genes homologous to the alcohol dehydrogenase family including SPM2. It should be interesting whether these genes are also expressed in the nervous system of the nematode or not. If they are expressed in the neuron, their function also are interesting and Tcl tagging shuld reveal
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