Epigenetic regulation of the development of neural system for nociception by maternal factors

2016 Fiscal Year Final Research Report

• Project/Area Number: 15K14882
• Research Category: Grant-in-Aid for Challenging Exploratory Research
• Allocation Type: Multi-year Fund
• Research Field: Integrative animal science
• Research Institution: Azabu University
• Principal Investigator: Mogi Kazutaka 麻布大学, 獣医学部, 准教授 (50347308)
• Project Period (FY): 2015-04-01 – 2017-03-31
• Keywords: 痛覚 / 発達 / 母性因子 / エピジェネティクス / マウス

Outline of Final Research Achievements

It has been shown that the maternal environment affects the offspring’s development of social behaviors. It has recently suggested that the similar possibility is also seen in nociception. On the other hand, a novel sensory neuron, which was only stimulated by massage-like stroking and express the G-protein-coupled receptor Mrgprb4, was found in 2013. In the present study, we tried to demonstrate our hypothesis that the neural system for nociception was adequately organized by the activation of Mrgprb4-expressing neurons under the maternal factors. As results, we found that pain sensitivity was increased in mice which were nurtured by mothers showing lower licking/grooming rates than usual mothers. Furthermore, when we inhibited the activity of Mrgprb4-expressing neurons in Mrgprb4-cre mice only during early life period until weaning by using the Designer Receptors Exclusively Activated by Designer Drugs (DREDDs), pain sensitivity in those mice increased in adulthood.

Free Research Field

行動神経科学