Morphological analysis of circuitry of cholinergic C-terminal inputs to oro-facial motor neurons

2015 Fiscal Year Final Research Report

• Project/Area Number: 25860152
• Research Category: Grant-in-Aid for Young Scientists (B)
• Allocation Type: Multi-year Fund
• Research Field: General anatomy (including histology/embryology)
• Research Institution: National Defense Medical College
• Principal Investigator: MATSUI Toshiyasu 防衛医科大学校(医学教育部医学科進学課程及び専門課程、動物実験施設、共同利用研究, 医学教育部医学科専門課程, 助教 (90531343)
• Project Period (FY): 2013-04-01 – 2016-03-31
• Keywords: 運動ニューロン / 脳幹網様体 / コリン作動性ニューロン / 脳神経運動核 / 神経トレーサー

Outline of Final Research Achievements

Large cholinergic synaptic boutons, named C-terminals, contact motor neurons innervating oro-facial muscles and regulate their excitability. In the present study, we first determined the distribution of cholinergic interneurons that gave rise to C-terminals in oro-facial motor nuclei, using neuronal tracing techniques. Next, we produced viral vectors for the tracer to visualize cholinergic neurons in a single-cell level, and examined morphological characteristics of cholinergic interneurons that are origins of C-terminals in the spinal cord.

Free Research Field

組織形態学，神経解剖学