1997 Fiscal Year Final Research Report Summary
Analysis of Neurosteroid Synthesis in Grial Cells with a combined Imaging System
| Project/Area Number |
08680713
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| Research Category |
Grant-in-Aid for Scientific Research (C)
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| Allocation Type | Single-year Grants |
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| Section | 一般 |
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| Research Field |
Biophysics
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| Research Institution | Tokyo University of Agriculture and Technology |
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Principal Investigator |
OHTA Yoshihiro Tokyo University of Agricult.and Tech., Biotech., Assist.Prof., 工学部, 講師 (10223843)
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| Project Period (FY) |
1996 – 1997
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| Keywords | glial cells / neurosteroid / cholesterol / adrenocortical cells / steroid hormone / ACTH / low density lipoprotein / imaging |
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| Research Abstract |
To elucidate the mechanism of neurosteroid synthesis, we have visualized the process of intracellular signaling in glial cells and adrenocortical cells.
Visualization was performed with he combination of confocal microscopy and real-time video enhanced microscopy. Since adrenal cortex is a major organ which produces steroid hormone, adrenocortical cells were examined as a model system of neurosteroid synthesis in glial cells.
After stimulation of adrenocortical cells with ACTH,a series of calcium spikes and steroidogenesis were observed in the cells. There was a relationship between calcium signaling and steroid horm one synthesis, because inhibition of calcium signaling stopped steroidogenesis. The uptake of a low density lipoprotein (LDL) which contains a number of cholesterol molecules, precursors of steroid hormone, was observed. The trafficking of internalized LDL and perinuclear distribution of the free cholesterol were also observed.
ATP is reported to be a neurotrasmitter. The stimulation of glial cells by ATP induced a transient calcium spikes in the cells. Glial cells also showed a intensive uptake of LDL and a directed trafficking of endosomes as adrenocortical cells showed. On the other hand, free cholesterol molecules in a glial cell were mainly located in a plasma membrance.
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