Investigation of psychiatric disorders as a disruption of homeostasis

2018 Fiscal Year Final Research Report

• Project/Area Number: 16K01946
• 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: University of Toyama
• Principal Investigator: Takao Keizo 富山大学, 研究推進機構 研究推進総合支援センター, 教授 (80420397)
• Project Period (FY): 2016-04-01 – 2019-03-31
• Keywords: 行動解析 / 統合失調症 / 歯状回 / バイオインフォマティクス / 光遺伝学

Outline of Final Research Achievements

Bioinformatics analysis was used to select candidate genes whose deletion would result in gene expression similar to that of psychiatric disease model mice, and for several of these genes, knockout mice were created in fertilized eggs of C57BL/6J using CRISPR/Cas9 genome editing technology.
The mouse which peculiarly manifested the photoactivation enzyme by adeno-associated virus inoculation in the hippocampus dentate gyrus was stimulated by the light. The mice performed better on some learning tasks. The activation of this enzyme is suggested to play a facilitative role in memory immobilization.

Free Research Field

神経科学

Academic Significance and Societal Importance of the Research Achievements

本研究によって樹立した遺伝子欠損マウスの系統は今後、精神疾患のモデルとなる可能性が高く、精神疾患の病態の解明や治療法の開発に活用できると期待される。また、光依存的に活性化する酵素を発現したマウスで、光刺激依存的に一部の学習課題の成績が向上していたことから、この酵素の活性化は記憶の固定化に促進的な役割を果たしていると示唆され、この酵素をターゲットとして認知症などの記憶障害の治療法の開発が期待される。