A developmental switch in short-term synaptic plasticiy

2023 Fiscal Year Final Research Report

• Project/Area Number: 20K06906
• Research Category: Grant-in-Aid for Scientific Research (C)
• Allocation Type: Multi-year Fund
• Section: 一般
• Review Section: Basic Section 46030:Function of nervous system-related
• Research Institution: Gunma University
• Principal Investigator: Hosoi Nobutake 群馬大学, 大学院医学系研究科, 准教授 (90543570)
• Project Period (FY): 2020-04-01 – 2024-03-31
• Keywords: short-term plasticity / inhibitory synapse / cerebellum

Outline of Final Research Achievements

During development, the central nervous system changes dynamically and matures in terms of size, morphology and function. Properties of inhibitory synaptic transmission also changes dynamically and my preliminary study suggests that short-term depression switches to short-term facilitation at cerebellar inhibitory synapses during development. This implies that efficiency of synaptic inhibition improves greatly during maturation. The mechanism of this developmental switch of short-term plasticity, however, remains to be elucidated. In this study, I tried to examine the mechanism experimentally.

Free Research Field

神経科学

Academic Significance and Societal Importance of the Research Achievements

神経系における抑制性シナプス伝達の機能的発達は、いまだわかってないことも多く、また、抑制性シナプス伝達の機能不全は、自閉症や統合失調症、てんかんなどの精神疾患にも大きく関与することが知られている。したがって、本研究での成果は、今後、抑制性シナプス伝達を原因とする多くの精神疾患などの原因解明にもつながりうるし、治療方法の開発にも寄与しうると考えられる。