Regulatory mechanism of synaptic plasticity through liquid-liquid phase separation of CaMKII

2021 Fiscal Year Final Research Report

• Project/Area Number: 20K21462
• Research Category: Grant-in-Aid for Challenging Research (Exploratory)
• Allocation Type: Multi-year Fund
• Review Section: Medium-sized Section 46:Neuroscience and related fields
• Research Institution: Kyoto University
• Principal Investigator: HAYASHI Yasunori 京都大学, 医学研究科, 教授 (90466037)
• Project Period (FY): 2020-07-30 – 2022-03-31
• Keywords: CaMKII / シナプス可塑性 / 液-液相分離 / AMPA型グルタミン酸受容体 / NMDA型グルタミン酸受容体 / 興奮性シナプス

Outline of Final Research Achievements

Humans built our civilization by memorizing knowledge and skills. We spend our daily lives memorizing the faces and events of our loved ones. Memory is a brain function that permanently stores information of temporary events, such as what we have seen or eaten. During this process, the molecules in the brain undergo certain changes that withstand their turnover over time beyond the lifetime of the molecules themselves. We have shown that proteins in the brain form condensates when stimulated during learning. The neurons are filled with water, but these aggregates spontaneously separate and assemble from the water in the neurons as if they were oil droplets floating on water. The molecules themselves remember their own locations, while allowing them to turnover. In this way, this mechanism allows us to retain their memories throughout our lives. We hope our finding leads to a better understanding and eventually to a treat neurological diseases such as Alzheimer's disease.

Free Research Field

神経科学

Academic Significance and Societal Importance of the Research Achievements

私たち人類は知識や技術を記憶することで文明を築き、大切な人の顔や出来事を記憶することで日常を過ごしています。この新発見の機構を応用することで、アルツハイマー病などの治療ができるのではないかと期待しています。記憶は人間を人間たらしめる最も重要な能力ですが、わかっていることは多くありません。加齢・病気・事故により記憶を失ってしまうことは、肉体の損傷と同じかあるいはもっと大きな悲しみを伴います。また、過去の悲しい記憶に囚われて前向きに生きられなくなることもあります。私たちは記憶形成の分子機構の研究を通じて、人間がより人間らしく生活できる世界を実現したいと願っています。