Analysis of sleep-wake regulatory system by optogenetics featuring cone opsins.

2017 Fiscal Year Final Research Report

• Project/Area Number: 15K01832
• Research Category: Grant-in-Aid for Scientific Research (C)
• Allocation Type: Multi-year Fund
• Section: 一般
• Research Field: Basic / Social brain science
• Research Institution: Kanazawa University
• Principal Investigator: Maejima Takashi 金沢大学, 医学系, 准教授 (70399319)
• Co-Investigator(Renkei-kenkyūsha): HASEGAWA Emi 筑波大学, 国際統合睡眠医科学研究機構, 助教 (40765955) ; SOYA Shingo 筑波大学, 国際統合睡眠医科学研究機構, 助教 (90791442) ; SAKURAI Takeshi 筑波大学, 国際統合睡眠医科学研究機構, 教授 (60251055) ; MIEDA Michihiro 金沢大学, 医学系, 教授 (20296552)
• Research Collaborator: Stefan Herlitze ルール大学, ボーフム・生物学部, 教授
• Project Period (FY): 2015-04-01 – 2018-03-31
• Keywords: 睡眠・覚醒 / 光遺伝学 / 錐体オプシン / オレキシン / セロトニン / ノルアドレナリン / ヒスタミン

Outline of Final Research Achievements

When cone opsins of photoreceptors are artificially expressed in neurons, light irradiation can suppress the neuronal activity and the release of transmitters from the neurons. Applying this method, we analyzed the functional roles of the hypothalamus and the monoaminergic system, which are the core of the sleep-wake regulatory system.
First, reduction of serotonin release in the amygdala has been shown to result in the development of the cataplexy-like episode in the mice model of sleep disorder, narcolepsy. Second, in the fear conditioning test of mice the lateral hypothalamic orexin neurons involved in brain arousal have been elucidated to promote the fear-related behaviors regulated in the amygdala via the activation of noradrenergic neurons.

Free Research Field

脳科学（基盤・社会脳科学）、光脳科学、神経生理学