2017 Fiscal Year Final Research Report
Analysis of learning systems in the insect microbrain by genome editing
| Project/Area Number |
16K14774
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| Research Category |
Grant-in-Aid for Challenging Exploratory Research
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| Allocation Type | Multi-year Fund |
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| Research Field |
Animal physiology/Animal behavior
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| Research Institution | Hokkaido University |
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Principal Investigator |
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| Project Period (FY) |
2016-04-01 – 2018-03-31
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| Keywords | 昆虫 / オクトパミン / ドーパニン / 連合学習 / 社会学習 / コオロギ / RNA干渉 |
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| Outline of Final Research Achievements |
The purpose of this study was to establish techniques to knockout specific genes by using CRISPR/Cas9 methods in the cricket Gryllus bimaculatus to accelerate the study of molecular mechanisms of learning and memory. We found, at first, that knockout of Dop1 dopamine receptor gene resulted in impairment of social learning to learn aversive stimulus from the behavior of a conspecific but social learning to find rewarding stimulus by social learning was intact. The results suggest that Dop1 transmit reinforcement signals in aversive social learning. Next, we attempted to establish knockout cricket line with OA1 octopamine receptor but we were not yet successful. In addition, we performed RNAi studies to knockdown genes that code AC1 and AC2 adenylyl cyclase and FoxP transcription repressor. Unexpectedly, no defects in olfactory learning were found in AC1 or AC8 knockdown crickets. It was also unexpected that FoxP knockdown crickets exhibited impairments in long-term memory formation.
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| Free Research Field |
神経行動学
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