Understanding the operating principles of the meso-circuitry that generates spatio-temporal patterns

2015 Fiscal Year Final Research Report

• Project Area: Mesoscopic neurocircuitry: towards understanding of the functional and structural basis of brain information processing
• Project/Area Number: 22115002
• 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: The University of Tokyo
• Principal Investigator: NOSE AKINAO 東京大学, 新領域創成科学研究科, 教授 (30260037)
• Co-Investigator(Kenkyū-buntansha): TAKAKO MORIMOTO 東京薬科大学, 生命科学部, 准教授 (10311648)
• Co-Investigator(Renkei-kenkyūsha): HIROSHI KOHSAKA 東京大学, 大学院新領域創成科学研究科, 助教 (20431900)
• Project Period (FY): 2010-04-01 – 2016-03-31
• Keywords: メゾ神経回路 / オプトジェネティクス / ショウジョウバエ / 運動回路 / カルシウムイメージング / 電気シナプス / 統計解析 / コネクトミクス

Outline of Final Research Achievements

How spatio-temporal patterns of neural activity are generated by the central circuits is a fundamental question in neuroscience. In this study, we used larval Drosophila as a model and obtained the following results. 1) We showed that local activity of motor neurons regulates, via gap junctions, the frequency of larval locomotion. 2) We identified interneurons that regulate the speed of locomotion and turning behavior. 3) We developed statistical methods that allow automated acquisition of the activity of a neural population from 4D calcium imaging data.

Free Research Field

神経科学