Synaptic organizational principles in a subset of brain regions

2020 Fiscal Year Final Research Report

• Project/Area Number: 18K14842
• Research Category: Grant-in-Aid for Early-Career Scientists
• Allocation Type: Multi-year Fund
• Review Section: Basic Section 46020:Anatomy and histopathology of nervous system-related
• Research Institution: Juntendo University
• Principal Investigator: Parajuli Laxmi Kumar 順天堂大学, 医学部, 助教 (10812448)
• Project Period (FY): 2018-04-01 – 2021-03-31
• Keywords: pine / Synapse / Dendrite / Parkinson's disease

Outline of Final Research Achievements

My research used three-dimensional electron microscopy to reveal the structures of neuronal compartments in different areas of the brain. I revealed the unique structures of neuronal dendrites and the placement of dendritic spines along the neuronal dendrites. Furthermore, in the striatum, I studied the developmental changes of dendritic spine morphology in 1, 3, 6 and 22 months of age in the normal mice and in the mouse model of Parkinson’s disease. I found that the spine density decreases, but the average head volume increases with age in wild-type mice. However, the increase in spine head volume with age was not seen in Parkinson’s disease mouse model. In summary, my research revealed the structure of dendritic spines in the hippocampus, cerebral cortex, striatum, cerebellum and the unique dendritic protrusion in the interpeduncular nucleus of wild-type mice; and the abnormality in the structures of dendritic spines in the striatum of Parkinson’s disease mouse model.

Free Research Field

Neuroanatomy

Academic Significance and Societal Importance of the Research Achievements

本研究で、海馬、皮質、小脳では、樹状突起の直径とともに脊椎密度が増加することが明らかにした。 さらに、正常な野生型マウスの線条体で見られた平均脊椎頭部体積の年齢による増加はパーキンソン病のモデルマウスでは観察されなかった。