2022 Fiscal Year Final Research Report
Exploitation of new optogenetic tools based on characteristic properties of rhodopsins
| Project/Area Number |
21K15054
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| Research Category |
Grant-in-Aid for Early-Career Scientists
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| Allocation Type | Multi-year Fund |
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| Review Section |
Basic Section 43040:Biophysics-related
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| Research Institution | Okayama University |
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Principal Investigator |
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| Project Period (FY) |
2021-04-01 – 2023-03-31
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| Keywords | ロドプシン / 光受容タンパク質 / 光操作 / オプトジェネティクス |
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| Outline of Final Research Achievements |
Rhodopsin is a family of photoreceptive seven-transmembrane proteins containing retinal as a chromophore. They show a variety of photochemical properties (e.g., spectral sensitivity and photoreaction) and molecular functions (e.g., G protein coupled receptors, ion pumps and ion channels). Recently, rhodopsins are utilized as fundamental tools in optogenetics that can control the biological phenomena by light in living cells and oraganisms. In this research, we analyzed the photochemical properties and molecular functions of new rhodopsins from metazoan and microorganisms and to understand their functional mechanisms. Furthermore, we applied new and classical rhodopsins into several cell lines and animals to establish new optogenetics tools.
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| Free Research Field |
生物物理学
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| Academic Significance and Societal Importance of the Research Achievements |
近年、ロドプシンは、光で生物個体や細胞の機能を制御する技術・オプトジェネティクスのツールとして生命科学分野で注目されている。本研究課題では、生物界に存在する多様なロドプシン分子の解析により、新しい分子（例：青色光感受性アニオンチャネル、可視光感受性Gq活性型ロドプシン、高効率性Naポンプ）を見出し、オプトジェネティクスを支える分子基盤の拡張に成功した。さらに、新しいオプトジェネティクス（例：薬物誘導性膜電位変化観察、細胞死の制御）の開発にも成功した。これらの成果により、様々な生命機能を制御できる光操作技術が進歩し、生命科学分野の発展につながると期待できる。
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