Studies on diversity of axon guidance mechanisms

2014 Fiscal Year Final Research Report

• Project Area: Neural Diversity and Neocortical Organization
• Project/Area Number: 22123006
• 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: University of Tsukuba
• Principal Investigator: MASU Masayuki 筑波大学, 医学医療系, 教授 (20243032)
• Co-Investigator(Kenkyū-buntansha): SHIOMI Kensuke 筑波大学, 医学医療系, 講師 (00311598) ; MASU Kazuko 筑波大学, 医学医療系, 講師 (50344883)
• Project Period (FY): 2010-04-01 – 2015-03-31
• Keywords: 脳 / 発生 / 糖鎖 / 神経回路 / 大脳皮質 / ヘパラン硫酸 / 軸索ガイダンス / 皮質脊髄路

Outline of Final Research Achievements

We studied the roles of heparan sulfate in corticospinal tract formation. We generated the double knockout (DKO) mice for Sulf1 and Sulf2, which are normally required for 6-O-desulfation of heparan sulfate. We found that Sulf1/2 DKO mice had axon guidance defects in the corticospinal tract. The cortical axons abnormally projected towards the superior and inferior colliculi, and midline crossing did not occur normally in the pyramidal decussation. These results suggest that heparan sulfate modification by Sulf1/2 is required for normal corticospinal tract formation.

Free Research Field

分子神経生物学