The elucidation of taste coding mechanisms based on imaging techniques

2020 Fiscal Year Final Research Report

• Project/Area Number: 18H02153
• Research Category: Grant-in-Aid for Scientific Research (B)
• Allocation Type: Single-year Grants
• Section: 一般
• Review Section: Basic Section 38050:Food sciences-related
• Research Institution: The University of Tokyo
• Principal Investigator: Okada Shinji 東京大学, 大学院農学生命科学研究科(農学部), 特任准教授 (50376563)
• Project Period (FY): 2018-04-01 – 2021-03-31
• Keywords: 味覚 / 神経

Outline of Final Research Achievements

In this study, we have succeeded in obtaining a transcriptional regulatory region that can induce expression in medaka sour taste cells. By using this region, it is expected that the introduction of foreign genes into sour taste cells will be possible in other model fishes such as zebrafish. In addition, the trans-synaptic tracer has revealed the correlation between the conduction pathways of taste information in several species. The obtained findings are complementary to the findings of gustatory conduction pathways that have been shown in other model organisms, and will greatly contribute to the full understanding of gustatory conduction pathways. In addition to the knowledge accumulated through the examination of the conditions in this study, we expect to achieve our goal of observing the response to gustatory stimuli by utilizing tools with greatly improved fluorescence intensity and examining methods to induce the expression of these tools.

Free Research Field

食品科学

Academic Significance and Societal Importance of the Research Achievements

本申請研究では、複数種の味細胞に発現誘導可能な転写制御領域の取得に成功した。得られた転写制御領域の活用は味覚受容、味覚情報伝達などの研究の進展に大きく貢献するものである。また、申請者のグループの本申請研究およびこれまでの研究によって、5基本味の味覚情報伝導路の重なり合いの様式が明らかになってきた。なぜそれぞれの味が認識できるのか、その仕組みの解明に貢献するものである。