Developing the system to identify the regulatory genes in the primary visual cortex using a light inducible IEG expressions in marmosets

2015 Fiscal Year Final Research Report

• Project/Area Number: 25640016
• Research Category: Grant-in-Aid for Challenging Exploratory Research
• Allocation Type: Multi-year Fund
• Research Field: Neurophysiology / General neuroscience
• Research Institution: Institute of Physical and Chemical Research (2015); National Institute for Basic Biology (2013-2014)
• Principal Investigator: Yamamori Tetsuo 国立研究開発法人理化学研究所, 脳科学総合研究センター, チームリーダー (80260206)
• Project Period (FY): 2013-04-01 – 2016-03-31
• Keywords: 大脳新皮質 / 視覚野 / 連合野 / メチル化 / MBD4 / IEG / 眼優位性カラム

Outline of Final Research Achievements

We previously identified two groups of genes highly expressed in the primate neocortex: One group of the genes are high the primary visual cortex (V1) and the other group of the genes are high in association areas.　The comparative analysis among several representative primate species indicate the area-selective expression and activity dependent expression can be separated each other. In this study, we wanted to identify the molecular mechanisms responsible such a segregation. We found that the promoter region of association area selective genes are highly methylated while the methylation of the V-selective genes are low. We then proved that MBD4 positively controls the high expression of association area selective genes. To understand the molecular mechanisms that control the activity dependent expression of V1-selective genes a light inducible gene expression system in marmoset V1 using immediate early genes and confirm the existence of the ocular dominance column in the marmoset V1.

Free Research Field

分子脳科学