Elucidation of molecular regulation mechanism of adult brain neurogenesis and its application

2017 Fiscal Year Final Research Report

• Project/Area Number: 15K06711
• Research Category: Grant-in-Aid for Scientific Research (C)
• Allocation Type: Multi-year Fund
• Section: 一般
• Research Field: Neurophysiology / General neuroscience
• Research Institution: Nagasaki University
• Principal Investigator: SHIMOZAKI Koji 長崎大学, 先導生命科学研究支援センター, 助教 (40379540)
• Research Collaborator: GAGE Fred H
• Project Period (FY): 2015-04-01 – 2018-03-31
• Keywords: 神経科学 / 神経幹細胞 / ニューロン新生 / 未分化維持機構 / 自己複製機構 / エピジェネティクス / 転写因子

Outline of Final Research Achievements

In order to elucidate the molecular mechanism of neurogenesis in adult brain and to develop artificial control method, I focused on DNA demethylation factor TET1 which controls DNA methylation, and comprehensive gene expression analysis of neural stem cells (NSCs) derived from adult brain, and cell biological analysis were performed. As a result, while TET1 has a common self-renewal control mechanism with TET2, the presence of REV-ERBβ as a TET1-specific downstream regulatory factor was revealed. Furthermore, molecular biological analysis of REV-ERBβ revealed that REV-ERBβ is involved in the regulation of undifferentiation and neuronal differentiation of adult NSCs, and it is possible to control artificial neurogenesis by ligands of REV-ERBβ was also suggested.

Free Research Field

分子神経科学