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Elucidation of the mechanism of impaired fear memory extinction due to the impairment of histone methylation and development of novel treatment for PTSD

Research Project

Project/Area Number 20K16649
Research Category

Grant-in-Aid for Early-Career Scientists

Allocation TypeMulti-year Fund
Review Section Basic Section 52030:Psychiatry-related
Research InstitutionHiroshima University

Principal Investigator

Kataoka Tsutomu  広島大学, 医系科学研究科(医), 専門研究員 (10868805)

Project Period (FY) 2020-04-01 – 2023-03-31
Project Status Completed (Fiscal Year 2022)
Budget Amount *help
¥4,160,000 (Direct Cost: ¥3,200,000、Indirect Cost: ¥960,000)
Fiscal Year 2022: ¥780,000 (Direct Cost: ¥600,000、Indirect Cost: ¥180,000)
Fiscal Year 2021: ¥1,690,000 (Direct Cost: ¥1,300,000、Indirect Cost: ¥390,000)
Fiscal Year 2020: ¥1,690,000 (Direct Cost: ¥1,300,000、Indirect Cost: ¥390,000)
KeywordsPTSD / 動物モデル / エピジェネティクス / 新規治療薬
Outline of Research at the Start

PTSDの恐怖記憶の消去障害に関するH3K9メチル化障害仮説を樹立し、Epigenetics機構からみた新たなPTSD治療薬を開発するため、以下の研究を行う。
1) 下記のBDNF転写抑制機構を実証する。ヒストン methyltransferace のG9a, SUV39h1の発現亢進⇒H3K9 dimethylation亢進⇒BDNF遺伝子プロモーターへのH3K9の結合亢進。2) 抗H3K9抗体を用いたChIP-seqを行い、転写が抑制されている記憶関連遺伝子を抽出する。3) G9a阻害薬による恐怖記憶の消去障害の修復効果の検証。

Outline of Final Research Achievements

The purpose of this study was to elucidate the mechanism of hippocampal brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) reduction associated with impaired fear memory extinction in SPS rats, a model of PTSD. Two hours after fear memory extinction training, BDNF mRNA expression was significantly decreased in SPS rats, and the decrease might be due to the increase in the H3K9 dimethylation at BDNF promoter IV region. In addition, administration of a histone methyltransferase inhibitor reversed the decrease in BDNF expression after extinction training in SPS rats and improved the impairment of fear memory extinction. These results suggest that the regulation of BDNF gene expression mediated by H3K9 methylation in the hippocampus is involved in the impairment of fear memory extinction in SPS rats.

Academic Significance and Societal Importance of the Research Achievements

本研究では、PTSDの病態に関与するH3K9メチル化障害を証明するとともに、ヒストンメチル化酵素阻害薬の投与がPTSDの恐怖記憶の消去障害の治療法となり得ることを示した。これは、これまでのヒストン・アセチル化の亢進を標的としたヒストン脱アセチル化酵素阻害薬によるPTSD治療薬の開発に対して、新たなエピジェネティック作動薬の治療薬としての可能性を示したものである。

Report

(4 results)
  • 2022 Annual Research Report   Final Research Report ( PDF )
  • 2021 Research-status Report
  • 2020 Research-status Report

URL: 

Published: 2020-04-28   Modified: 2024-01-30  

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