Molecular mechanisms in the synapse formation by afadin and nectins

2014 Fiscal Year Final Research Report

• Project/Area Number: 25860214
• Research Category: Grant-in-Aid for Young Scientists (B)
• Allocation Type: Multi-year Fund
• Research Field: General medical chemistry
• Research Institution: Kobe University
• Principal Investigator: TOMOHIKO Maruo 神戸大学, 医学(系)研究科(研究院), 特命助教 (10625114)
• Project Period (FY): 2013-04-01 – 2015-03-31
• Keywords: シナプス / 接着 / アファディン

Outline of Final Research Achievements

Synapses are specialized intercellular junctions that are indispensable for neuronal transmission. Synaptic plasticity is the critical basis for the process of learning and memory and synaptic disfunction causes variety of psychiatric and neurological disorders, thus the molecular understanding of the microstructure is a central issue in the field of neuroscience. Synapses contain at least two types of junctional structures: synaptic junctions (SJs) and puncta adherentia junctions (PAJs). In this study, we studied the role of afadin, an important scaffold of PAJ, in the process of synapse formation and synaptic functions. We revealed that afadin regulates not only adhesion process, but also diverse process in the synaptic development and functions. These results may be helpful to understand the process of learning and memory and the process of psychiatric and neurological disorders.

Free Research Field

神経細胞生物学