Neuronal linkage through gap junctions as an essential component in cerebral circuitry

2014 Fiscal Year Final Research Report

• Project/Area Number: 24300127
• Research Category: Grant-in-Aid for Scientific Research (B)
• Allocation Type: Partial Multi-year Fund
• Section: 一般
• Research Field: Nerve anatomy/Neuropathology
• Research Institution: Kumamoto University
• Principal Investigator: FUKUDA Takaichi 熊本大学, 大学院生命科学研究部, 教授 (50253414)
• Co-Investigator(Renkei-kenkyūsha): SHIGEMATSU Naoki 熊本大学, 大学院生命科学研究部, 助教 (30469613)
• Project Period (FY): 2012-04-01 – 2015-03-31
• Keywords: ギャップ結合 / 大脳皮質 / パルブアルブミン / GABA / インターニューロン / 視覚野 / コネキシン36 / バレル野

Outline of Final Research Achievements

Neuronal networks in the brain are generally mediated by synapses, but recent studies have shown the existence of another form of neuronal linkage in mammalian brains, that is the network through gap junctions. Gap junctions form intercellular channels through which cytoplasms of two neurons are directly connected to each other. This particular property of gap junctions is thought to underlie the synchronization of neuronal activities and play an important role in information processing in the brain. However, due to the technical difficulties, it remains almost unknown where and how neurons are linked through gap junctions within the tissue architecture of the brain. The present study has succeeded in visualizing the actual three-dimensional structure of gap junction-coupled network in the visual cortex and barrel field of somatosensory cortex. The detailed analysis of various morphological features of gap junction network led to novel findings on the cerebral cortex.

Free Research Field

神経解剖学