Regulation of neuronal spine by ubiquitination

2019 Fiscal Year Final Research Report

• Project/Area Number: 15K21769
• Research Category: Fund for the Promotion of Joint International Research (Home-Returning Researcher Development Research)
• Allocation Type: Multi-year Fund
• Research Field: Neurochemistry/Neuropharmacology
• Research Institution: Foundation for Biomedical Research and Innovation at Kobe
• Principal Investigator: KAWABE Hiroshi 公益財団法人神戸医療産業都市推進機構, 上席研究員 (00582454)
• Project Period (FY): 2017 – 2019
• Keywords: スパイン / ユビキチン化 / 超解像顕微鏡

Outline of Final Research Achievements

In the neuronal network, information is transferred between two neurons via synapses. Postsynapse is integrated in the dendritic spine. The size of spine is related to the number of neurotransmitter receptors on it and the regulation of spine morphology is of particular importance for the understanding of the pathology of psychiatric disorders. In our project, we studied the role of specific protein ubiquitination mediated by HECT type E3 ligases in the regulation of neuronal development including the spine formation.

Academic Significance and Societal Importance of the Research Achievements

本課題の研究で、これまで未知の部分が多かったユビキチン化による神経細胞発達の制御機構に関して、多くの知見が得られた。中でも知的障害を伴う発達障害であるKaufman症候群の原因遺伝子でE3ユビキチンリガーゼをコードするUbe3Bが、スパインの形成と形態を制御する機構を見出した。この成果は将来的に知的障害の原因の解明や治療に発展する可能性がある。

Free Research Field

神経科学