Comprehensive understanding of intracellular Mg2+ function in neurons with fluorescent imaging

2014 Fiscal Year Final Research Report

• Project/Area Number: 24240045
• Research Category: Grant-in-Aid for Scientific Research (A)
• Allocation Type: Single-year Grants
• Section: 一般
• Research Field: Bioinformatics/Life informatics
• Research Institution: Keio University
• Principal Investigator: OKA KOTARO 慶應義塾大学, 理工学部, 教授 (10276412)
• Co-Investigator(Kenkyū-buntansha): SUZUKI Koji 慶應義塾大学, 理工学部, 教授 (80154540)
• Project Period (FY): 2012-04-01 – 2015-03-31
• Keywords: 生体生命情報学 / シグナル伝達 / 再生医学 / 生物物理 / 神経科学

Outline of Final Research Achievements

Although the magnesium ion (Mg2+) is one of the most abundant divalent cations in cells and known to play critical roles in many physiological processes, its mobilization is still obscure. To understand the Mg2+ function, first we developed a method for Mg2+ imaging in cellular local area using a novel fluorescent Mg2+ probe, “KMG-104-AsH”, and succeeded to visualize localized Mg2+ release in mitochondrial intermembrane space (MIS) induced by a protonophore, FCCP. Furthermore, we also investigated that nitric oxide (NO) activation of mitochondria ATP sensitive potassium channel, and found that NO induces Mg2+ release from mitochondria by mitochondrial depolarization via cGMP/PKG/mitoKATP channel pathway. Finally, we investigated the Parkinson-like cell death by the application of MPP+（1-methyl- 4-phenylpyridinium ion）to differentiated PC12 cells. Higher concentration of intracelluar Mg2+ moderated the toxic effect of MPP+ and suppressed the cell death.

Free Research Field

システム生物学・神経科学