Cellular mechanisms of the impact of sugar on memory stability
| Project/Area Number |
23K05840
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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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| Review Section |
Basic Section 44050:Animal physiological chemistry, physiology and behavioral biology-related
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| Research Institution | Hokkaido University |
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Principal Investigator |
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| Project Period (FY) |
2023-04-01 – 2026-03-31
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| Project Status |
Granted (Fiscal Year 2023)
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| Budget Amount *help |
¥4,550,000 (Direct Cost: ¥3,500,000、Indirect Cost: ¥1,050,000)
Fiscal Year 2025: ¥1,820,000 (Direct Cost: ¥1,400,000、Indirect Cost: ¥420,000)
Fiscal Year 2024: ¥1,690,000 (Direct Cost: ¥1,300,000、Indirect Cost: ¥390,000)
Fiscal Year 2023: ¥1,040,000 (Direct Cost: ¥800,000、Indirect Cost: ¥240,000)
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| Keywords | Memory / Reward / Drosophila / Nutrition / Learning & Memory / Dopamine |
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| Outline of Research at the Start |
How do brains manage memory endurance? I study how sugar can stabilize associative memories by using fruit fly larvae. I will measure and manipulate single neurons and observe the animals' behaviour in detail. This will show by which neuronal circuits sugar intake can affect memories.
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| Outline of Annual Research Achievements |
Learning and remembering are crucial faculties in life. The mechanisms that regulate how long a memory endures are of great practical importance. It is known that sugar intake can short-term boost concentration, motivation and memory performance in humans. I study the mechanisms of how sugar can stabilize associative memories by using the larva of the fruit fly Drosophila melanogaster as an example. My results of the first year:
Objective 1A: The video-recording experiments have been conducted and the analysis is ongoing. I expect results within the next months.
Objective 1B: I found that larvae do hardly ever ingest any sugar during the waiting time. This suggests that the memory-stabilizing effect is not due to the nutritional benefit of sugar. This is a rather surprising result, and may indicate that the sweet taste in itself can have a stabilizing effect on memory. This makes it also possible that artificial sweeteners would have similar effects.
Objective 1C: Together with my collaborators, we adapted the light-sheet microscope for Drosophila larvae and are ready for the first imaging experiments.
Objective 2: I attempted to silence reward-signalling Dopamine neurons during the waiting time, but the results are not yet conclusive due to some technical difficulties that are in the progress of being sorted out in the moment.
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| Current Status of Research Progress |
Current Status of Research Progress
2: Research has progressed on the whole more than it was originally planned.
Reason
Objective 1A is slightly delayed compared to the research plan, but the analysis is expected to be finished within the next months.
Objective 1B is finished as planned.
Objective 1C has progressed just as planned and the first experiments are expected to start within May.
I started with objective 2 ahead of the research plan. I encountered some technical difficulties and right now I am in the progress of solving them. I am confident that the objective can go ahead as planned during AY2024.
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| Strategy for Future Research Activity |
Objective 1A: I will focus on the analysis of the obtained data in the next weeks and I am confident that the objective will be finished within AY2024.
Objective 1C: After adapting the setup to Drosophila larvae, we will next try the first Calcium imaging experiments. We will start with two driver strains, one covering the reward-signalling dopamine neurons, and the other one covering the Kenyon cells of the mushroom body. We will first apply the method to animals without any additional stimuli to establish the method. Then, we will work to adapt the method to use it with or without sugar, and during the waiting time of a learning experiment.
Objective 2: I encountered unexpected results in some control experiments and have to make sure first that the effector I use for silencing neurons works as intended. These tests are expected to be finished within May. In case the problems persist, I will switch to another silencing effector. I am confident that the experiments can progress from there according to the research plan in AY2024
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Report
(1 results)
Research Products
(2 results)
