Revealing the mechanisms of memory formation, consolidation, and retrieval through CREB activity pattern

2018 Fiscal Year Final Research Report

• Project/Area Number: 15K06699
• Research Category: Grant-in-Aid for Scientific Research (C)
• Allocation Type: Multi-year Fund
• Section: 一般
• Research Field: Neurophysiology / General neuroscience
• Research Institution: The University of Tokyo
• Principal Investigator: Yamazaki Daisuke 東京大学, 定量生命科学研究所, 助教 (80588377)
• Project Period (FY): 2015-04-01 – 2019-03-31
• Keywords: ショウジョウバエ / 記憶 / CREB / キノコ体

Outline of Final Research Achievements

Brains are constituted of the various types of neurons and each neuron responds to the various stimuli heterogeneously. While it enables to enlarge the capacity for memory, it makes us difficult to analyze which cells should be focused. In this project I tried to label and analyze the cell populations which showed homogeneous activities by using Drosophila olfactory memory as a model. I focused on CREB, an essential transcriptional factor for long-term memory, to divide the mushroom body (MB) neurons into two populations which was olfactory memory center in insects in a CRE-dependent manner. We found that the activity balance between CRE-positive and -negative MB gamma neurons could change the learning efficiency of aversive and appetitive memory, and they inhibited mutually.

Free Research Field

神経科学

Academic Significance and Societal Importance of the Research Achievements

本研究成果として興味深いのは、CREBが神経活動のマーカーであり長期記憶に必須の因子と言われていたにもかかわらず、CREB活性の低い細胞がCREB活性の高い細胞と相補的な神経活動を行なっており、報酬記憶には必須の細胞群であったということです。その結果、キノコ体のγ細胞が哺乳類の扁桃体と類似しており、CREB活性によってその機能ユニットが二分化されるということを示します。本成果はショウジョウバエの記憶回路の基礎的な部分が種を超えて保存されていると期待され、ショウジョウバエの記憶研究の学術的意義を深めるものと考えられます。