Elucidation of the mechanisms underlying neural circuit formation using ferrets

2023 Fiscal Year Final Research Report

• Project/Area Number: 21K19306
• 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: Kanazawa University
• Principal Investigator: Kawasaki Hiroshi 金沢大学, 医学系, 教授 (50303904)
• Project Period (FY): 2021-07-09 – 2024-03-31
• Keywords: 大脳 / U線維 / フェレット

Outline of Final Research Achievements

U-fibers are short association fibers located just below the cerebral cortex and are thought to be important for functional association between neighboring areas of the cerebral cortex. In this study, we conducted a detailed analysis of the internal characteristics of U-fibers. As a result of analyzing the U-fiber region of the cerebral cortex of ferrets using various kinds of staining methods, we found that the U-fiber region can be divided into two subregions with different characteristics, which we named the inner U-fiber region and the outer U-fiber region. As a result of electron microscopic analysis, we found that thick axons with thick myelin sheaths were distributed more frequently in the inner U-fiber region than in the outer U-fiber region. These results suggest that the U-fiber region has a more complex structure than previously thought.

Free Research Field

神経科学

Academic Significance and Societal Importance of the Research Achievements

ヒトやサルの大脳にはU-fiberが存在しており、高次脳機能に重要ではないかと考えられている。おもしろいことに副腎白質ジストロフィーなどの疾患では深部白質では脱髄が見られるものの、U-fiber領域の髄鞘は傷害されず保たれることが知られており、U-fiber領域の特殊性が注目されている。またU-fiberは認知症や統合失調症、自閉症などの神経変性疾患や発達障害における重要性も指摘されていることから、U-fiberの研究は神経科学および脳進化の観点からの重要性だけではなく、臨床医学的もしくは社会的な意義も大きい。