2023 Fiscal Year Final Research Report
Morphological and molecular analysis of glial plasticity in development and senescence of cutaneous mechanoreceptors
| Project/Area Number |
20K07236
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| Research Category |
Grant-in-Aid for Scientific Research (C)
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| Allocation Type | Multi-year Fund |
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| Section | 一般 |
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| Review Section |
Basic Section 48010:Anatomy-related
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| Research Institution | Hokkaido University |
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Principal Investigator |
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| Project Period (FY) |
2020-04-01 – 2024-03-31
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| Keywords | 細胞組織化学 / 皮膚感覚装置 / グリア可塑性 / 終末シュワン細胞 / プリン作動性信号 |
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| Outline of Final Research Achievements |
The lanceolate sensory endings innervating the rat vibrissae accompany the terminal Schwann cells that form glial coverings of axon endings, and the stellate Schwann-like cells. To test transformability of the latter cells into the former for normal mechanoreceptor remodeling in young and aged rats, and to clarify cell signals involved, we observed the two glial cell types by panoramic confocal microscopy of the hair follicle, examined cellular expression of receptors by Ca2+ imaging in isolated specimens, and analyzed effects of the receptor blockade by in vivo experiments. The stellate Schwann-like cells existed in all the hair follicles examined up to 16 months of age, and displayed morphological features suggestive of transformation into terminal Schwann cells frequently in younger rats. The two glial cell types expressed the ATP receptor subtype P2Y2, with the receptor blockade during the fourth postnatal week blunting the glial cell recruitment to the mature sensory endings.
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| Free Research Field |
細胞生物学
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| Academic Significance and Societal Importance of the Research Achievements |
個体の成長や細胞の新旧回転に応じた改築を常に必要とする感覚終末で，そのグリア要素である終末シュワン細胞が細胞分裂を伴わず日常的に動員され星形シュワン様細胞が動員のための予備軍をなすこと，軸索終末から興奮依存性に放出されるという信号物質ATPの受容体P2Y2を介した細胞応答が予備軍の維持・動員に欠かせないことを初めて明らかにした。これによって，末梢神経系の発達・修復機構解明に新しい視点を提供した。
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