Development and practice of cutting-edge measurement technology of local temperature inside and outside cells

2019 Fiscal Year Final Research Report

• Project Area: Integrative understanding of biological phenomena with temperature as a key theme
• Project/Area Number: 15H05931
• Research Category: Grant-in-Aid for Scientific Research on Innovative Areas (Research in a proposed research area)
• Allocation Type: Single-year Grants
• Review Section: Biological Sciences
• Research Institution: Osaka University (2016-2019); Kyoto University (2015)
• Principal Investigator: Harada Yoshie 大阪大学, 蛋白質研究所, 教授 (10202269)
• Co-Investigator(Kenkyū-buntansha): 岡部 弘基 東京大学, 大学院薬学系研究科(薬学部), 助教 (20455398)
• Project Period (FY): 2015-06-29 – 2020-03-31
• Keywords: 細胞内温度計測 / 蛍光寿命イメージング / 蛍光性温度センサー

Outline of Final Research Achievements

In this study, to investigate the mechanism and the physiological significance of intracellular temperature variation, we developed and modified our methodologies of temperature imaging and local heating in single cells. By using these techniques, we investigated temperature changes in various cell lines and tissues to find spatiotemporal temperature variations which depended on cellular states and functions, and furthermore, intracellular local thermogenesis-driven physiological events. These results suggested the existence of intracellular thermal signaling in which the spontaneous local temperature change inside cells contributes to cellular and physiological functions.

Free Research Field

生物物理学

Academic Significance and Societal Importance of the Research Achievements

最も基本的な物理量である温度は、細胞内分子の状態や生化学反応の活性を司ることで、細胞機能や生体の主要生理機能に強く影響する。従来、細胞内温度の変動は完全に未知であったが、我々はこれまでに高性能な蛍光性温度センサーと高感度かつ高い定量性を備えた蛍光イメージング技術を用いて、単一細胞内の温度測定法や生細胞内における温度分布のイメージング法を開発した。