DNA amplification in neuron

2015 Fiscal Year Final Research Report

• Project/Area Number: 25440181
• Research Category: Grant-in-Aid for Scientific Research (C)
• Allocation Type: Multi-year Fund
• Section: 一般
• Research Field: Genetics/Chromosome dynamics
• Research Institution: Fukuoka Women's University
• Principal Investigator: Ryota Matsuo 福岡女子大学, 文理学部, 准教授 (40334338)
• Project Period (FY): 2013-04-01 – 2016-03-31
• Keywords: DNA増幅 / 倍数化 / ニューロン / 腹足類

Outline of Final Research Achievements

The brain of gastropd mollusks contain many giant neurons whose genomic DNAs are repeatedly amplyfied (i.e. polyploid). The polyploidization is adaptive strategy of the animals, and is thought to occur in order to meet the increasing damand for macromolecules in the neurons to innervate growing peripheral organs during body growth. In the present research, we investigated following two issues: 1) How neurons in the brain sense the need to amplify their genomic DNA? 2) Is the amount of every mRNA increases concomitantly as a result of DNA polyploidization? We found that the neurons in the brain sense the need to amplify their own genome through innervation to the periferal organs. We also identified a pair of genes whose expression levels change in the opposite direction in the same polulation of neurons during body growth, suggesting a differential regulation of gene expression levels in a polyploidized neuron.

Free Research Field

分子神経生物学