Analysis of dynamics of synaptically released glutamate in cortical neurons

2014 Fiscal Year Final Research Report

• Project/Area Number: 24590313
• Research Category: Grant-in-Aid for Scientific Research (C)
• Allocation Type: Multi-year Fund
• Section: 一般
• Research Field: General pharmacology
• Research Institution: The University of Tokyo
• Principal Investigator: NAMIKI Shigeyuki 東京大学, 医学(系)研究科(研究院), 助教 (90452193)
• Co-Investigator(Renkei-kenkyūsha): HIROSE Hirose 東京大学, 大学院医学系研究科, 教授 (00292730)
• Project Period (FY): 2012-04-01 – 2015-03-31
• Keywords: シナプス / グルタミン酸 / イメージング

Outline of Final Research Achievements

An analysis of synaptic properties at individual synapses in living brain preparations is an essential requirement for the study of regulation mechanism underlying synaptic transmission. The aim of this study is to establish a technical platform for a imaging of synaptically released glutamate with a synapse resolution in slice preparations and in vivo. First, we generated novel fluorescent glutamate probes which show more than 10-fold increase of fluorescence intensity, enabling to visualize synaptically released glutamate with high spatiotemporal resolution. Second, we developed methods for a neuron-specific labeling of glutamate probe. Combined these techniques, we tried imaging of spatiotemporal glutamate dynamics in a mouse cortical slice preparation. In this glutamate imaging, glutamate release was visualized at a dendritic spine, indicating that our glutamate imaging platform is applicable to a imaging of synaptically released glutamate in slice preparations and in vivo.

Free Research Field

薬理学