2023 Fiscal Year Final Research Report

Research on brainstem circuits that integrate binaural vestibular inputs in larval zebrafish as a model system

Research Project

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Project/Area Number	20K06866
Research Category	Grant-in-Aid for Scientific Research (C)
Allocation Type	Multi-year Fund
Section	一般
Review Section	Basic Section 46010:Neuroscience-general-related
Research Institution	National Institute for Basic Biology
Principal Investigator	Tanimoto Masashi 基礎生物学研究所, 神経行動学研究部門, 助教 (30608716)
Project Period (FY)	2020-04-01 – 2024-03-31
Keywords	前庭 / 内耳 / 耳石器官 / 前庭神経核 / ゼブラフィッシュ
Outline of Final Research Achievements	In this study, we constructed a microscope that is capable of imaging the activity of neuronal populations at the single-cell level during static head tilts and vibration stimuli. We measured the activity of neural cell populations in zebrafish larvae by Ca2+ imaging and elucidated the direction selectivity of individual neurons. We also found that the larvae exhibit rostral trunk bending in response to static roll tilt, and clarified the biomechanics and neural circuitry underlying this postural control behavior that maintains an upward dorsal orientation.
Free Research Field	神経科学
Academic Significance and Societal Importance of the Research Achievements	本研究で構築した頭部の加速度刺激時の神経活動を可視化できる顕微鏡システムは、平衡感覚や運動制御の基礎的理解に貢献する。また、得られた知見は脊椎動物の姿勢制御の神経回路についての基礎的知見を生みだした。本研究成果は、水中での微細な姿勢制御法として機械制御などの技術応用にもつながる基礎知見を提供するほか、平衡障害の病態解明や乗り物酔いなどの症状発症メカニズムの解明、治療法開発など福祉・医療分野の発展につながる可能性がある。