Behavioral and molecular biology of sensing mechanism for tetrodotoxin in Takifugu rubiripes

2014 Fiscal Year Final Research Report

• Project/Area Number: 24380109
• Research Category: Grant-in-Aid for Scientific Research (B)
• Allocation Type: Partial Multi-year Fund
• Section: 一般
• Research Field: General fisheries
• Research Institution: Nagasaki University
• Principal Investigator: SAKAKURA Yoshitaka 長崎大学, 水産・環境科学総合研究科(水産), 教授 (20325682)
• Co-Investigator(Renkei-kenkyūsha): KINOSHITA Shigeharu 東京大学, 農学生命科学研究科, 准教授 (40401179) ; TAKATANI Tomohiro 長崎大学, 水産・環境科学総合研究科(水産), 教授 (90304972)
• Project Period (FY): 2012-04-01 – 2015-03-31
• Keywords: 水産学 / 行動学 / 生理活性 / 脳・神経 / 遺伝子

Outline of Final Research Achievements

In order to investigate ecological meanings of tetrodotoxin (TTX) for pufferfish, sensing, ingestion and mode of action in the brain of TTX were investigated using non-toxic hatchery-reared Takifugu rubripes. Behavioral analysis by Y-maze test revealed that a pufferfish senses TTX by olfaction and ingests orally, and TTX was immediately distributed into liver, skin and central nervous system (brain, eye and olfactory organ). Gene expression analysis in the brain of pufferfish which sensed TTX was conducted using a next generation sequencer. As a result, genes involving odorant receptors, feeding-stimulating peptides and reward-system upregulated, which supports the findings of behavioral and physiological observations.

Free Research Field

水産増殖学