Mediation of neuronal maturation and spinogenesis by PACAP signaling in primary hippocampal neurons

2015 Fiscal Year Final Research Report

• Project/Area Number: 25460100
• Research Category: Grant-in-Aid for Scientific Research (C)
• Allocation Type: Multi-year Fund
• Section: 一般
• Research Field: Pharmacology in pharmacy
• Research Institution: Osaka University
• Principal Investigator: HAYATA ATSUKO 大阪大学, 連合小児発達学研究科, 助教 (70390812)
• Co-Investigator(Renkei-kenkyūsha): HASHIMOTO Hitoshi 大阪大学, 大学院薬学研究科, 教授 (30240849)
• Project Period (FY): 2013-04-01 – 2016-03-31
• Keywords: PACAP / シナプス病態 / 精神疾患 / 樹状突起スパイン

Outline of Final Research Achievements

Recent evidence implicates that abnormalities in dendritic spines are key substrates in the pathogenesis of several neuropsychiatric disorders. In this study, we analyzed the molecular mechanism for the spine maturation and spinogenesis by PACAP signaling. Here, we observed that miR-132 sponge and the MEK1/2 inhibitor U0126 blocked the PACAP-mediated increase in spine maturation and spinogenesis. In contrast, overexpression of miR-132 partly rescued the spine reductions in the PACAP-deficient primary neurons.
These data indicate that PACAP-miRNA132 signaling pathway is critically implicated in spine formation and contribute to understand the molecular mechanisms underlying neuropsychiatric disorders such as schizophrenia.

Free Research Field

分子神経科学