Phsyiological study in developmental synaptic competition and elimination

2021 Fiscal Year Final Research Report

• Project/Area Number: 19H03343
• Research Category: Grant-in-Aid for Scientific Research (B)
• Allocation Type: Single-year Grants
• Section: 一般
• Review Section: Basic Section 46030:Function of nervous system-related
• Research Institution: Tokyo Women's Medical University
• Principal Investigator: Miyata Mariko 東京女子医科大学, 医学部, 教授 (70281631)
• Project Period (FY): 2019-04-01 – 2022-03-31
• Keywords: 視床 / シナプス刈り込み / プレシナプス

Outline of Final Research Achievements

For the maturation of brain neuronal circuit, surviving of necessary synapses and elimination of redundant synapses are crucial, but functional differentiations during the process remain elusive. Here, we found distinct developments of transmitter release kinetics at surviving and eliminating presynaptic terminals. At surviving terminals, total number of releasable vesicles enlarges first, and capacity for rapid exocytosis is established experience-dependently thereafter. At eliminating terminals, not only transmitter release mechanism, but also calcium current and terminal size exhibit no developmental maturations. By contrast, developmental changes of action potential waveforms are indistinguishable between surviving or eliminating terminals, and showed no experience-independence. Thus, we reveal pathway-specific, experience-dependent, and experience-independent developmental presynaptic maturation, which will lead to deeper understandings of brain neuronal circuit establishment.

Free Research Field

神経科学

Academic Significance and Societal Importance of the Research Achievements

今まで、発達期シナプス刈り込みにおいては、生存するシナプスと刈り込まれるシナプスが存在するが、これらのシナプス小胞の放出能に関しては、未知であった。今回、中枢神経系において世界ではじめてこれらを明らかにし、PNASに発表した。