Biological Sensors that Control Biological Functions in Response to Temperatur

2023 Fiscal Year Final Research Report

• Project/Area Number: 21K19661
• Research Category: Grant-in-Aid for Challenging Research (Exploratory)
• Allocation Type: Multi-year Fund
• Review Section: Medium-sized Section 58:Society medicine, nursing, and related fields
• Research Institution: Osaka Metropolitan University (2022-2023); Osaka City University (2021)
• Principal Investigator: SAEKI SHIGERU 大阪公立大学, 大学院生活科学研究科, 客員教授 (60211926)
• Project Period (FY): 2021-07-09 – 2024-03-31
• Keywords: 温度

Outline of Final Research Achievements

The biological clock transmits environmental signals into the organism and controls the organism's ability to adapt to its environment. It is well known that the body clock is controlled by light, but the applicant considered that not only light but also temperature is an important regulator of the body clock, and that light and temperature control the body clock while cross-talking with each other, and when this control is disrupted, metabolic syndrome develops. Therefore, in this study, biological sensors that respond to temperature were explored using an animal model of metabolic syndrome, which is genetically predisposed to obesity, diabetes, dyslipidaemia and hypertension spontaneously.

Free Research Field

栄養生化学

Academic Significance and Societal Importance of the Research Achievements

体内時計の環境シグナルは光であるが、美しい四季が存在するわが国においては、一年を 通じて日照時間が変化するだけでなく、環境温度も大きく変動する。多くの酵素反応の反応速度は温度により反応速度が大きく変化し、温度を10℃上昇させれば反応速度はおよそ2倍以上速くなる。わが国の気温の年較差は30℃にも及ぶ。体内時計が光で制御されることは周知のことであるが、申請者は、温度も体内時計の重要な制御因子であり、その制御が破綻するとメタボリック症候群が発症すると考えた。本研究の試みは、温度システム生物学の黎明期である現在において非常に挑戦的でると期待される。