2003 Fiscal Year Final Research Report Summary
Analyses of molecular mechanisms of sensory processing in C.elegans
| Project/Area Number |
14580688
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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 |
Molecular biology
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| Research Institution | National Institute of Genetics |
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Principal Investigator |
ISHIHARA Takeshi National Institute of Genetics, Structural Biology Center, Assistant Professor, 構造遺伝学研究センター, 助手 (10249948)
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| Co-Investigator(Kenkyū-buntansha) |
KATSURA Isao National Institute of Genetics, Structural Biology Center, Professor, 構造遺伝学研究センター, 教授 (00107690)
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| Project Period (FY) |
2002 – 2003
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| Keywords | C.elegans / learning / sensory processing / behaviora / genetics |
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| Research Abstract |
Animals sense many environmental stimuli, and process these sensory information in the nervous system. This sensory processing includes processes for selection of appropriate information, proper integration, and modification by experience or memory. To elucidate molecular and neuronal mechanisms for sensory processing, we are studying mutants defective in sensory intimation and learning behavior.
hen-1 mutants show defects in integration of two sensory signals Cu^<2+> and attractive odorants. hen-1 mutant animals slow weaker tendency to cross the Cu^<2+> barrier during migrating toward diacetyl, although they appear not to exhibit defects in chemotaxis to diacetyl nor avoidance of Cu^<2+>. Furthermore, hen-1 mutant animals show abnormality in behavioral plasticities induced by paired presentation of NaCl and starvation and of temperature and starvation. The hen-1 gene encodes a secretory protein with an LDLa motif which is most homologus to a Drosophila signaling molecule, Jeb. HEN-1 is expressed in ASE and AIY neurons and functions cell-non-autonomously in the mature nervous system.
Recently, Jeb in Drosophila is reported to regulate development of mesodermal cells through a receptor tyrosine kinase, DAlk, which is a homologue of proto-oncogene, Alk. Since the LDLa domain in Jeb is similar to that in HEN-1, we started to analyze the scd-2 gene, which encodes a receptor tyrosine kinase similar to DAlk. scd-2 mutants show behavioral deflects same as hen-1 mutants in paradigms for sensory integration and learning.
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