2023 Fiscal Year Final Research Report
Structures and functions of synaptic cleft compartments
Project/Area Number |
18K06471
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Research Category |
Grant-in-Aid for Scientific Research (C)
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Allocation Type | Multi-year Fund |
Section | 一般 |
Review Section |
Basic Section 46010:Neuroscience-general-related
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Research Institution | Kyoto Sangyo University |
Principal Investigator |
HAMA Chihiro 京都産業大学, 総合学術研究所, 科研費研究員 (50238052)
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Project Period (FY) |
2018-04-01 – 2024-03-31
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Keywords | シナプス間隙 / ニコチン性アセチルコリン受容体 / シナプス / Hig / Hasp / ショウジョウバエ / サプレッサー変異 / sequestering subunit |
Outline of Final Research Achievements |
When the nervous system functions in our bodies, synapses, which are connecting parts between two adjacent neurons, play its central roles. The gaps between the two neurons are called synaptic clefts. One neuron secretes neurotransmitters, which traverse the clefts and bind their receptors located on the other neuron, thus transmitting neural information. Our team, using Drosophila genetics, identified two proteins Hig and Hasp, both of which were located in the synaptic clefts of cholinergic synapses, and found that these proteins regulate the synaptic levels of nicotinic acetylcholine receptors (nAChRs) through interacting with particular subunits of the receptors. Notably, one of the subunits become a lethal factor when Hig is missing, which may provide insight into the development of therapies for the disorders associated with the loss of nAChR.
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Free Research Field |
分子神経科学
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Academic Significance and Societal Importance of the Research Achievements |
神経機能が発揮されるうえで中心的な役割を果たすシナプスについての研究は重要であり、実際に多くの研究が行われてきたが、神経伝達物質受容体の一つであるニコチン性アセチルコリン受容体のシナプスにおける局在制御機構は不明であった。今回のわれわれの研究により、その機構の一部を明らかにできたことは神経科学の発展にとって意義のあることである。また、今回の研究により、生理的に機能する受容体サブユニットの一つがシナプス間隙の状態によっては、シナプスの機能を欠損させることが判明しており、このことはヒトの神経変性疾患の発症機序の解明に新たな視点を加えるものである。
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