Identification of the food memory engram network and its functional role through intervention manipulation.

2022 Fiscal Year Final Research Report

• Project/Area Number: 20K21265
• Research Category: Grant-in-Aid for Challenging Research (Exploratory)
• Allocation Type: Multi-year Fund
• Review Section: Medium-sized Section 38:Agricultural chemistry and related fields
• Research Institution: The University of Tokyo
• Principal Investigator: Kida Satoshi 東京大学, 大学院農学生命科学研究科(農学部), 教授 (80301547)
• Project Period (FY): 2020-07-30 – 2023-03-31
• Keywords: 食記憶 / 記憶エングラム / 食認知制御 / 食行動 / 食嗜好性 / 食物価値 / 食経験 / 前頭前野

Outline of Final Research Achievements

We established mouse models of feeding behaviors in humans, such as a food neophobia model and a food withholding model. Using these tasks, we identified the neural network that encodes memory engrams for feeding experiences of cheese by measuring neural activity-dependent gene expression (c-fos expression) using immunohistochemistry and subsequent in silico analyses to examine functional connectivity among brain regions. The results showed that significant and strong c-fos induction was observed in many brain regions including the medial prefrontal cortex (mPFC) and amygdala following feeding cheese for the first time, strongly suggesting that the mPFC plays a central role in the memory engram encoding feeding experiences.

Free Research Field

食神経科学

Academic Significance and Societal Importance of the Research Achievements

嗜好性の高いチーズ摂食によりマウスに強い記憶が形成されることが示唆された。このような強い食経験の記憶形成が経験依存的な食の嗜好性変容に強い影響を与え、我々の食習慣の形成の源となっていると考えられる。食習慣は生活習慣病を代表とする多様な疾患の環境要因となっているため、本研究が継続されることで、食習慣が形成される心理メカニズムが明らかになれば、将来的には疾患リスクの高い食習慣を矯正・改善する方法の開発に貢献できるものと考えられる。