Elucidation of the role of biological defense mechanisms by the intracellular proteolysis systems in damages of the inner ear

2016 Fiscal Year Final Research Report

• Project/Area Number: 25293347
• Research Category: Grant-in-Aid for Scientific Research (B)
• Allocation Type: Partial Multi-year Fund
• Section: 一般
• Research Field: Otorhinolaryngology
• Research Institution: The University of Tokyo
• Principal Investigator: Iwasaki Shinichi 東京大学, 医学部附属病院, 准教授 (10359606)
• Co-Investigator(Kenkyū-buntansha): 吉川 弥生 東京大学, 医学部附属病院, 病院診療医 (00452350) ; 樫尾 明憲 東京大学, 医学部附属病院, 助教 (20451809) ; 中島 敏明 獨協医科大学, 医学部, 教授 (50227790) ; 藤本 千里 東京大学, 医学部附属病院, 助教 (60581882)
• Project Period (FY): 2013-04-01 – 2017-03-31
• Keywords: 脳・神経 / 内耳 / タンパク質 / オートファジー / プロテアソーム

Outline of Final Research Achievements

To investigate the role of the intracellular proteolysis systems in damages in the inner ear, we analyzed the roles of the ubiquitin-proteasome system and the autophagy-lysosome system.
To investigate the role of the autophagy-lysosome system in the inner ear, we generated mice deficient in a gene essential for autophagy (Atg5) in hair cells in the inner ear. Deletion of Atg5 resulted in hair cell degeneration and profound congenital hearing loss. To investigate the role of the ubiquitin-proteasome system in the inner ear, we analyzed the effect of proteasome inhibitor (MG-132) in cultured inner ear cells under oxidative damage. The low concentration of proteasome inhibitor had some protective effect, but it had toxic effect in the higher concentration.

Free Research Field

耳科学、神経耳科学、細胞生理