Analysis of novel polypeptides involved in brain and neurological diseases

2020 Fiscal Year Final Research Report

• Project/Area Number: 18H02707
• Research Category: Grant-in-Aid for Scientific Research (B)
• Allocation Type: Single-year Grants
• Section: 一般
• Review Section: Basic Section 51010:Basic brain sciences-related
• Research Institution: Kyushu University
• Principal Investigator: Matsumoto Akinobu 九州大学, 生体防御医学研究所, 准教授 (60741519)
• Project Period (FY): 2018-04-01 – 2021-03-31
• Keywords: Long non-coding RNA / ポリペプチド / 脳・神経疾患

Outline of Final Research Achievements

Long non-coding RNAs (lncRNAs) are RNAs that do not encode proteins by definition, but we have identified novel polypeptides translated from lncRNAs and shown that they have important functions. In this project, we focused on polypeptides that are expressed specifically in the brain and whose expression is altered in diseases such as autism and depression. During this research period, we generated tag knock-in mice of these novel polypeptides to prove their endogenous expression and to identify their binding proteins, and also generated knock-out mice to show various behavioral abnormalities.

Free Research Field

分子生物学

Academic Significance and Societal Importance of the Research Achievements

Long non-coding RNA(lncRNA)はその定義によるとタンパク質をコードしないRNAであるが、われわれはこれまでにlncRNAから翻訳される新規ポリペプチドを同定し、それらが重要な機能を持つことを明らかにした。本研究課題では、脳特異的に発現して、自閉症や鬱病などで発現が変化しているポリペプチドの焦点を当てて解析を行ない、マウスにおいてそれらを欠損すると社会行動の変化などを引き起こすことなどを明らかにした。これらlncRNA由来の新規ポリペプチドという全く新しい因子の解析により、新たな治療法の開拓へとつながる可能性が示された。