| Budget Amount *help |
¥5,070,000 (Direct Cost: ¥3,900,000、Indirect Cost: ¥1,170,000)
Fiscal Year 2017: ¥1,430,000 (Direct Cost: ¥1,100,000、Indirect Cost: ¥330,000)
Fiscal Year 2016: ¥1,560,000 (Direct Cost: ¥1,200,000、Indirect Cost: ¥360,000)
Fiscal Year 2015: ¥2,080,000 (Direct Cost: ¥1,600,000、Indirect Cost: ¥480,000)
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| Outline of Final Research Achievements |
Brain nerve cells extend long processes to communicate with other cells. The contact sites are called synapses and demand energy supply to function. To meet the energy demands, mitochondria, tiny powerhouses in the cell, are transported from the cell body of the nerve cells. Depletion of mitochondria from the cells disrupts neuronal functions and eventually causes neuronal death. However, how the loss of synaptic mitochondria leads to neuronal death is not known. To elucidate the underlying molecular mechanisms, we used transgenic fruit fly to deplete mitochondria from synapses. We identified several molecules that are involved in neuronal dysfunction and cell loss triggered by loss of synaptic mitochondria. Since the loss of synaptic mitochondria is associated with neurodegenerative diseases such as Alzheimer’s disease, these findings may lead to development of a cure.
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