| Project/Area Number |
17K11647
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| Research Category |
Grant-in-Aid for Scientific Research (C)
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| Allocation Type | Multi-year Fund |
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| Section | 一般 |
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| Research Field |
Functional basic dentistry
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| Research Institution | Kagoshima University |
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Principal Investigator |
Miura Hirohito 鹿児島大学, 医歯学域歯学系, 准教授 (80353936)
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| Co-Investigator(Kenkyū-buntansha) |
小柳 江梨子 鹿児島大学, 医歯学域歯学系, 助教 (20791700)
原田 秀逸 鹿児島大学, 医歯学総合研究科, 客員研究員 (60128452)
大木 誠 鹿児島大学, 医歯学域歯学系, 助教 (60596104)
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| Project Period (FY) |
2017-04-01 – 2020-03-31
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| Project Status |
Completed (Fiscal Year 2019)
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| Budget Amount *help |
¥4,680,000 (Direct Cost: ¥3,600,000、Indirect Cost: ¥1,080,000)
Fiscal Year 2019: ¥1,040,000 (Direct Cost: ¥800,000、Indirect Cost: ¥240,000)
Fiscal Year 2018: ¥910,000 (Direct Cost: ¥700,000、Indirect Cost: ¥210,000)
Fiscal Year 2017: ¥2,730,000 (Direct Cost: ¥2,100,000、Indirect Cost: ¥630,000)
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| Keywords | 味覚 / 細胞分化 / 味蕾 |
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| Outline of Final Research Achievements |
Taste buds, the peripheral gustatory sensory organ, contain three functional cell types, type I (Gila-like), type II (sweet, umami, and bitter sensing) and type III (sour sensing) cells. These cells are constantly renewed from the post-mitotic precursor cells reside in the basal region of taste buds, which are derived from epithelial stem cells surrounding taste buds. We previously reported a transcription factor expressed in almost all taste bud cells. In the present study, to clarify its function, we analyzed the knockout mice of the transcription factor. It was revealed that the nerve responses and behavioral sensitivities to sweet and bitter taste stimuli were markedly reduced and that immature precursor cells were increased although functional cells were decreased. These results imply that the transcription factor plays an important role in the maturation of taste bud cells.
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| Academic Significance and Societal Importance of the Research Achievements |
私達は、味覚を通して食事を楽しむと同時に、食欲を増進させている。超高齢社会となった日本では、味覚障害が多くなっており、食を通した健康維持のために味覚を正常に保つ意義は極めて大きい。味覚受容器である味蕾を構成する細胞は、常に新しい細胞に置き換わっており、これをターンオーバーという。様々な要因で味覚障害が生じるが、味蕾細胞のターンオーバーの異常は端的に味覚障害を発生させる。しかし、ターンオーバーに異常が生じる分子機序には、未だに不明な点が多い。本研究では味蕾細胞の成熟分化に重要な分子機構の一端を明らかにした。この知見は、味覚障害の予防法や治療法の開発に繋がると期待できる。
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