Understanding the role of Ca2+-dependent hyperpolarization pathway in the regulation of sleep homeostasis

2018 Fiscal Year Final Research Report

• Project/Area Number: 17H06623
• Research Category: Grant-in-Aid for Research Activity Start-up
• Allocation Type: Single-year Grants
• Research Field: Environmental physiology(including physical medicine and nutritional physiology)
• Research Institution: The University of Tokyo
• Principal Investigator: Shi Shoi 東京大学, 大学院医学系研究科(医学部), 助教 (40803656)
• Project Period (FY): 2017-08-25 – 2019-03-31
• Keywords: 睡眠恒常性

Outline of Final Research Achievements

This study questions the relationship between sleep homeostasis and the calcium-dependent hyperpolarization pathway. In this study, we clarified the relationship between calcium-dependent hyperpolarization pathway and sleep homeostasis control, and succeeded in identifying Kcnk9 as a novel sleep gene. The results were reported to PNAS, and the invited talk was given at the symposium of the European Sleep Research Society 24th.

Free Research Field

睡眠

Academic Significance and Societal Importance of the Research Achievements

睡眠時間を決める遺伝子を明らかにすることで、その遺伝子もしくは関連遺伝子をターゲットとした安全な睡眠薬の開発が可能です。また睡眠は多くの精神疾患と密接に関わっており、睡眠を制御するメカニズムを解明することは精神疾患に対する新規治療法の開発に繋がる可能性があります。