Optical Imaging of AMPK activity in vivo

2020 Fiscal Year Final Research Report

• Project/Area Number: 18K07066
• Research Category: Grant-in-Aid for Scientific Research (C)
• Allocation Type: Multi-year Fund
• Section: 一般
• Review Section: Basic Section 49030:Experimental pathology-related
• Research Institution: Kyoto University
• Principal Investigator: Terai Kenta 京都大学, 医学研究科, 准教授 (20616073)
• Project Period (FY): 2018-04-01 – 2021-03-31
• Keywords: AMPK / 光遺伝学 / 生体イメージング / 二光子顕微鏡

Outline of Final Research Achievements

AMP-activated protein kinase (AMPK) is the master regulator of metabolic pathways and energy homeostasis. A number of activators of AMPK have been developed to treat diabetic patients or to improve the performance of athletes. These reagents are powerful tool to delineate the role of AMPK. However, such small molecule activators are prone to cause off-target effects and not applicable for the targeted stimulation of specific cell types. Here, we developed an optogenetic tool that rapidly and reversibly controls the AMPK activity by light inducible protein clustering in mammalian cells.

Free Research Field

生体イメージング

Academic Significance and Societal Importance of the Research Achievements

本研究により、生きたマウスの中で、単一細胞レベルの非常に高い空間解像度でAMPKを操作することが可能になりました。今後、一つの細胞が生体全体に与える影響を調べることが可能になります。複雑な生体において、臓器間、細胞間で、お互いの情報を共有するためのメカニズムを調べる手法になると期待されます。