Bidirectional regulation of synaptic transmission during C. elegans thermotaxis behavior

• Project/Area Number: 17K07499
• Research Category: Grant-in-Aid for Scientific Research (C)
• Allocation Type: Multi-year Fund
• Section: 一般
• Research Field: Genetics/Chromosome dynamics
• Research Institution: Nagoya University
• Principal Investigator: Nakano Shunji 名古屋大学, 理学研究科, 講師 (60608529)
• Project Period (FY): 2017-04-01 – 2020-03-31
• Project Status: Completed (Fiscal Year 2019)
• Budget Amount: ¥4,810,000 (Direct Cost: ¥3,700,000、Indirect Cost: ¥1,110,000); Fiscal Year 2019: ¥1,560,000 (Direct Cost: ¥1,200,000、Indirect Cost: ¥360,000); Fiscal Year 2018: ¥1,430,000 (Direct Cost: ¥1,100,000、Indirect Cost: ¥330,000); Fiscal Year 2017: ¥1,820,000 (Direct Cost: ¥1,400,000、Indirect Cost: ¥420,000)
• Keywords: 線虫 / 学習 / 記憶 / 行動 / 神経間情報伝達 / 遺伝子 / シナプス伝達制御 / 生物・生体工学 / 神経科学 / シグナル伝達 / 脳・神経

Outline of Final Research Achievements

Synaptic transmission is fundamental in information processing in the nervous system. This study focused a thermosensory neuron in the nematode C. elegans and its post-synaptic interneuron and aimed to understand the molecular basis of the neural communication between these neurons. We identified a series of evolutionarily conserved molecules that function in the thermosensory neuron to bidirectionally regulate the activity of the interneuron. Our results identified previously unknown factors important for synaptic transmission and revealed the potential therapeutic targets for information processing in the nervous system.

Academic Significance and Societal Importance of the Research Achievements

これまでに、シナプス前ニューロンおけるシナプス伝達制御機構として、シナプス後ニューロンの活動の強度を調節することが知られていた。本研究の成果から、シナプス前ニューロンからの興奮性・抑制性シグナルのバランスを調節することによって、シナプス後ニューロンの活動が双方向的に制御されうることが明らかとなった。このことは、シナプス接続をする一対のニューロン間の情報伝達が、これまでに考えられていたよりも非常にダイナミックであり、複数の神経伝達物質が単一のニューロンから放出される生物学的意義を明らかにするものである。

Research Products

• [Int'l Joint Research] Pohang University(韓国)
• [Journal Article] Presynaptic MAST kinase controls opposing postsynaptic responses to convey stimulus valence in Caenorhabditis elegans (2020)
  • Author(s): Nakano Shunji、Ikeda Muneki、Tsukada Yuki、Fei Xianfeng、Suzuki Takamasa、Niino Yusuke、Ahluwalia Rhea、Sano Ayana、Kondo Rumi、Ihara Kunio、Miyawaki Atsushi、Hashimoto Koichi、Higashiyama Tetsuya、Mori Ikue
  • Journal Title: Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences Volume: 117 Issue: 3 Pages: 1638-1647
  • DOI: 10.1073/pnas.1909240117
  • Peer Reviewed / Open Access / Int'l Joint Research
• [Journal Article] The Caenorhabditis elegans INX‐4/Innexin is required for the fine‐tuning of temperature orientation in thermotaxis behavior (2020)
  • Author(s): Tsukamoto Satomi、Emmei Taishi、Nakano Shunji、Nishio Nana、Sasakura Hiroyuki、Mori Ikue
  • Journal Title: Genes to Cells Volume: 25 Issue: 3 Pages: 154-164
  • DOI: 10.1111/gtc.12745
  • Peer Reviewed / Open Access
• [Journal Article] Context-dependent operation of neural circuits underlies a navigation behavior inCaenorhabditis elegans (2020)
  • Author(s): Ikeda Muneki、Nakano Shunji、Giles Andrew C.、Xu Linghuan、Costa Wagner Steuer、Gottschalk Alexander、Mori Ikue
  • Journal Title: Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences Volume: 117 Issue: 11 Pages: 6178-6188
  • DOI: 10.1073/pnas.1918528117
  • Peer Reviewed / Open Access / Int'l Joint Research
• [Journal Article] Presynaptic MAST Kinase Controls Bidirectional Post-SynapticResponses to Convey Stimulus Valence in C. elegans (2019)
  • Author(s): Shunji Nakano, Muneki Ikeda, Yuki Tsukada, Xianfeng Fei, Takamasa Suzuki, Rhea Ahluwalia, Ayana Sano, Rumi Kondo, Kunio Ihara, Koichi Hashimoto, Tetsuya Higashiyama, Ikue Mori
  • Journal Title: bioRxiv Volume: 609479 Pages: 609479-609479
  • DOI: 10.1101/609479
  • Open Access
• [Journal Article] KIN-4/MAST kinase promotes PTEN-mediated longevity of Caenorhabditis elegans via binding through a PDZ domain (2019)
  • Author(s): An Seon Woo A.、Choi Eun-Seok、Hwang Wooseon、Son Heehwa G.、Yang Jae-Seong、Seo Keunhee、Nam Hyun-Jun、Nguyen Nhung T. H.、Kim Eun Ji E.、Suh Bo Kyoung、Kim Youngran、Nakano Shunji、Ryu Youngjae、Man Ha Chang、Mori Ikue、Park Sang Ki、Yoo Joo-Yeon、Kim Sanguk、Lee Seung-Jae V.
  • Journal Title: Aging Cell Volume: e12906 Issue: 3
  • DOI: 10.1111/acel.12906
  • Peer Reviewed / Open Access / Int'l Joint Research
• [Journal Article] SLO potassium channels antagonize premature decision making in C. elegans (2018)
  • Author(s): Aoki I, Tateyama M, Shimomura T, Ihara K, Kubo Y, Nakano S, Mori I.
  • Journal Title: Commun Biol. Volume: 1 Issue: 1 Pages: 123-123
  • DOI: 10.1038/s42003-018-0124-5
  • Peer Reviewed / Open Access
• [Journal Article] Identification of animal behavioral strategies by inverse reinforcement learning (2017)
  • Author(s): Yamaguchi S, Honda N, Ikeda M, Tsukada Y, Nakano S, Mori I and Ishii S
  • Journal Title: bioRxiv Volume: 129007 Pages: 129007-129007
  • DOI: 10.1101/129007
  • NAID: 120006469168
  • Open Access / Int'l Joint Research
• [Presentation] Stomatin-dependent control of presynaptic release during a memory-guided navigation behavior in C. elegans (2019)
  • Author(s): Shunji Nakano, Ikue Mori
  • Organizer: The 42nd Annual meeting of the Molecular Biology Society of Japan
  • Int'l Joint Research / Invited
• [Presentation] Presynaptic MAST Kinase Controls Bidirectional Post-Synaptic Responses to Convey Stimulus Valence during C. elegans Thermotaxis (2019)
  • Author(s): Shunji Nakano, Muneki Ikeda, Yuki Tsukada, Xianfeng Fei, Takamasa Suzuki, Rhea Ahluwalia, Ayana Sano, Rumi Kondo, Kunio Ihara, Koichi Hashimoto, Tetsuya Higashiyama & Ikue Mori
  • Organizer: The 22nd International C. elegans meeting
  • Int'l Joint Research
• [Presentation] Alteration of Synaptic Valence Controls a C. elegans Navigation Behavior (2019)
  • Author(s): Shunji Nakano, Muneki Ikeda, Yuki Tsukada, Ayana Sano, Rumi Kondo, Takamasa Suzuki, Tetsuya Higashiyama, and Ikue Mori
  • Organizer: UK-Japan Neuroscience Symposium
  • Int'l Joint Research
• [Presentation] Alteration between positive and negative valence of a neuronal connection shapes a C. elegans navigation behavior (2018)
  • Author(s): Shunji Nakano, Muneki Ikeda, Yuki Tsukada, Ayana Sano, Rumi Kondo, Takamasa Suzuki, Tetsuya Higashiyama, and Ikue Mori
  • Organizer: The 41st annual meeting of the Japan neuroscience society
  • Invited
• [Presentation] The C. elegans MAST Kinase Acts through Stomatin and Diacylglycerol Kinase to Regulate Thermotaxis Behavior (2017)
  • Author(s): Shunji Nakano, Muneki Ikeda, Andrew C. Giles, Takamasa Suzuki, Ayana Sano, Rumi Kondo, Tetsuya Higashiyama, Ikue Mori
  • Organizer: 21st International C. elegans meeting
  • Int'l Joint Research
• [Remarks] 「好き」が「嫌い」に変わる仕組みを解明 ~ 神経細胞から「好き・嫌い」の脳の働きを探る ~
  • URL: http://www.nagoya-u.ac.jp/about-nu/public-relations/researchinfo/upload_images/20200114_sci1.pdf