Identify the genes and glia epigenetically affected by social isolation

2019 Fiscal Year Final Research Report

• Project/Area Number: 18K14814
• Research Category: Grant-in-Aid for Early-Career Scientists
• Allocation Type: Multi-year Fund
• Review Section: Basic Section 46010:Neuroscience-general-related
• Research Institution: Osaka University
• Principal Investigator: Noriyoshi Usui 大阪大学, 医学系研究科, 特任助教(常勤) (00784076)
• Project Period (FY): 2018-04-01 – 2020-03-31
• Keywords: 社会性 / 環境要因 / 幼少期 / ストレス / エピゲノム / トランスクリプトーム / グリア / ニューロン

Outline of Final Research Achievements

The aim of this study was to understand the mechanism of poor social environment in childhood that adversely affects brain development and sociality acquisition. Mice that underwent social isolation during childhood showed impaired social behavior and increased anxiety-like behavior, and decreased numbers of neurons and microglia in the frontal cortex. Gene expression analysis identified genes involved in transcriptional regulation, stress response, and synaptic function, and revealed that these genes are involved in autism spectrum disorders and stress-related diseases. In addition, the most significantly altered gene S15 knockout mouse showed an impairment in social behavior, uncovering a part of the mechanism by which the social environment in childhood influences brain development and acquisition of sociality.

Free Research Field

分子神経発達学

Academic Significance and Societal Importance of the Research Achievements

本研究により、幼少期の社会環境が脳の脳と行動に与える影響が明らかになった。幼少期の社会環境は環境要因であることから、子どもの生育環境を整えることによって適切な脳の発達や社会性の形成、ストレスの軽減や予防などが期待できると考える。本研究での遺伝子発現や脳組織における知見は自閉スペクトラム症のモデルマウスの知見と類似することからも、前頭皮質の神経細胞のシナプス形成やミクログリアの適切な発達が社会性に関わる神経基盤に繋がるとが示唆された。