Functional Analysis of protein tyrosine phosphatase Shp2 in the adult forebrain neurons

2014 Fiscal Year Final Research Report

• Project/Area Number: 25870110
• Research Category: Grant-in-Aid for Young Scientists (B)
• Allocation Type: Multi-year Fund
• Research Field: Neurochemistry/Neuropharmacology; General medical chemistry
• Research Institution: Tokyo Medical University (2014); Gunma University (2013)
• Principal Investigator: KUSAKARI Shinya 東京医科大学, 医学部, 助教 (10510901)
• Project Period (FY): 2013-04-01 – 2015-03-31
• Keywords: 蛋白質チロシンリン酸化 / チロシンホスファターゼ / 脳高次機能

Outline of Final Research Achievements

The conditional-knockout (cKO) mice lacking Shp2, tyrosine phosphatase, specifically in postmitotic forebrain neurons manifest abnormal behavior, including hyperactivity. In this study, I found that novelty-induced expression of immediate-early genes and activation of extracellular-signal-regulated kinase (Erk) were attenuated in the cerebral cortex and hippocampus of Shp2 cKO mice, suggestive of reduced neuronal activity. The mutant mice also manifested transient impairment of memory formation in the Morris water maze. These results suggest that Shp2 contributes to regulation of Erk activation and synaptic plasticity in postmitotic forebrain neurons and thereby controls locomotor activity and memory formation.

Free Research Field

神経化学・神経薬理学