2020 Fiscal Year Final Research Report
Nanoscale distribution of Munc13-1 and calcium channels at the presynaptic terminals
| Project/Area Number |
19K16251
|
|---|
| Research Category |
Grant-in-Aid for Early-Career Scientists
|
| Allocation Type | Multi-year Fund |
|---|
| Review Section |
Basic Section 46010:Neuroscience-general-related
|
|---|
| Research Institution | The University of Tokyo |
|---|
Principal Investigator |
Sakamoto Hirokazu 東京大学, 大学院医学系研究科(医学部), 特任研究員 (10837397)
|
|---|
| Project Period (FY) |
2019-04-01 – 2021-03-31
|
| Keywords | シナプス |
|---|
| Outline of Final Research Achievements |
Synaptic transmission is fundamental to the brain function. It is important to quantify the distribution of presynaptic proteins essential for neurotransmitter release, such as Munc13-1 and voltage-gated calcium channels, at synapses to understand the molecular mechanisms that regulate the efficacy of synaptic transmission. In this study, we established an efficient immunohistochemical method for labeling Munc13-1 and voltage-gated calcium channels at synapses in the brain sections. We successfully quantified the nanoscale spatial distribution and the inter-molecular spatial relation of Munc13-1 and voltage-gated calcium channels at thousands of synapses in the hippocampus and cerebellum by combining the established immunohistochemical method with multi-color super-resolution fluorescence imaging techniques.
|
| Free Research Field |
神経科学
|
| Academic Significance and Societal Importance of the Research Achievements |
本研究では、脳を構築する神経細胞間のコミュニケーションを担うシナプスに焦点を当てて研究を行った。シナプス伝達は脳機能の根幹であるが、その分子メカニズムは不明な点が多い。最先端の超解像顕微鏡技術と独自の分子標識技術を組み合わせることで、神経伝達物質放出に必須の分子群の局在配置を、膨大な数のシナプスにおいて定量する手法を構築することができた。今回の成果によって、シナプス分子の配置によってどのようにしてシナプス伝達効率が決定されるのかという神経科学における重要な問いに答えることができた。また、この成果は脳の機能を分子の観点から理解する上で大きな意味を持つ。
|
