The role of serotonin projection under negative emotions.

• Project/Area Number: 18K07356
• Research Category: Grant-in-Aid for Scientific Research (C)
• Allocation Type: Multi-year Fund
• Section: 一般
• Review Section: Basic Section 51020:Cognitive and brain science-related
• Research Institution: Kansai Medical University
• Principal Investigator: YASUDA Masaharu 関西医科大学, 医学部, 講師 (90744110)
• Co-Investigator(Kenkyū-buntansha): 永安 一樹 京都大学, 薬学研究科, 助教 (00717902)
• Project Period (FY): 2018-04-01 – 2021-03-31
• Project Status: Completed (Fiscal Year 2020)
• Budget Amount: ¥4,420,000 (Direct Cost: ¥3,400,000、Indirect Cost: ¥1,020,000); Fiscal Year 2020: ¥1,170,000 (Direct Cost: ¥900,000、Indirect Cost: ¥270,000); Fiscal Year 2019: ¥1,560,000 (Direct Cost: ¥1,200,000、Indirect Cost: ¥360,000); Fiscal Year 2018: ¥1,690,000 (Direct Cost: ¥1,300,000、Indirect Cost: ¥390,000)
• Keywords: サル / 情動 / ストレス / 背側縫線核 / セロトニン / 光遺伝学 / 黒質網様部 / 認知 / 報酬 / 自律神経 / 光遺伝学的

Outline of Final Research Achievements

We are able to make a right decision even under stress. To elucidate the neural mechanism for achieving resilience under negative emotional state, we analyzed the function of the serotonergic system which is the critical modulator of emotion and cognition. We recorded single-neurons’ activity in dorsal raphe nucleus where many serotonergic neurons exist while the monkey performed decision making task under various emotion. We found the neurons which preferentially represented negative emotion showed stronger activity predicting correct than wrong decision. We also found that selective activation of serotonin system by optogenetics affect the motivational behavior under various reward context. These results suggest the involvement of serotonin system in decision and behavior in particular emotional context.

Academic Significance and Societal Importance of the Research Achievements

レジリエンスとは、不利な状況下での行動劣化を防ぐ能力のことである。こうした能力は様々な情動の影響を受ける日々の意思決定において発揮される。また鬱などの気分障害と認知機能低下との関係は度々報告されており、こうした情動下での認知的行動がどのような神経基盤により行われているのか、これまでよく調べられて来なかった。本研究で見出された、サルセロトニン系による、情動と意思決定シグナルの相互作用そして情動的行動への関与は、情動系がいかにして心的ストレスへの耐性発揮や行動制御へ寄与しているのか、その神経基の解明に繋がる。

Research Products

• [Journal Article] Prediction of pharmacological activities from chemical structures with graph convolutional neural networks (2021)
  • Author(s): Sakai Miyuki、Nagayasu Kazuki、Shibui Norihiro、Andoh Chihiro、Takayama Kaito、Shirakawa Hisashi、Kaneko Shuji
  • Journal Title: Scientific Reports Volume: 11 Issue: 1 Pages: 525-525
  • DOI: 10.1038/s41598-020-80113-7
  • NAID: 120006951708
  • Peer Reviewed / Open Access
• [Journal Article] The Role of Dorsal Raphe Serotonin Neurons in the Balance between Reward and Aversion (2020)
  • Author(s): Nagai Yuma、Takayama Kaito、Nishitani Naoya、Andoh Chihiro、Koda Masashi、Shirakawa Hisashi、Nakagawa Takayuki、Nagayasu Kazuki、Yamanaka Akihiro、Kaneko Shuji
  • Journal Title: International Journal of Molecular Sciences Volume: 21 Issue: 6 Pages: 2160-2160
  • DOI: 10.3390/ijms21062160
  • NAID: 120006826701
  • Peer Reviewed / Open Access
• [Journal Article] Acute restraint stress augments the rewarding memory of cocaine through activation of α1 adrenoceptors in the medial prefrontal cortex of mice. (2020)
  • Author(s): Wada, S., Yanagida, J., Sasase, H., Zhang, T., Li, X., Kamii, H., Domoto, M., Deyama, S., Hinoi, E., Yamanaka, A., Nishitani, N., Nagayasu, K., Kaneko, S., Minami, M., Kaneda, K.
  • Journal Title: Neuropharmacology Volume: 166 Pages: 107968-107968
  • DOI: 10.1016/j.neuropharm.2020.107968
  • Peer Reviewed / Open Access
• [Presentation] Combined representation of emotional salience and decision signals in primate dorsal raphe nucleus. (2019)
  • Author(s): Masaharu Yasuda, Yasumas Ueda, Kae Nakamura
  • Organizer: Society for Neuroscience
  • Int'l Joint Research
• [Presentation] Combined representation of emotional arousal and decision signals in primate dorsal raphe nucleus. (2019)
  • Author(s): Masaharu Yasuda, Yasumas Ueda, Kae Nakamura
  • Organizer: The Japan Neuroscience Society
  • Int'l Joint Research