Elucidation of temporal and spatial dynamics of the insulin signaling pathway during learning and memory

2015 Fiscal Year Final Research Report

• Project/Area Number: 25870172
• Research Category: Grant-in-Aid for Young Scientists (B)
• Allocation Type: Multi-year Fund
• Research Field: Neurophysiology / General neuroscience; Functional biochemistry
• Research Institution: The University of Tokyo
• Principal Investigator: Tomioka Masahiro 東京大学, 理学(系)研究科(研究院), 助教 (40466800)
• Co-Investigator(Renkei-kenkyūsha): IINO Yuichi 東京大学, 大学院理学系研究科, 教授 (40192471)
• Project Period (FY): 2013-04-01 – 2016-03-31
• Keywords: インスリン / 学習 / 記憶 / C. elegans / 選択的スプライシング / 化学感覚 / 飢餓応答 / 行動

Outline of Final Research Achievements

It has been reported that the insulin signaling pathway acting in chemosensory neurons is important for starvation learning, in which C. elegans worms learn to avoid chemicals after prolonged exposure to the chemicals under starvation conditions. In this study, we showed that different kinds of insulin pathway act in distinct parts of the chemosensory neurons (the cell body and axon) and crosstalk between them are required for starvation learning. We further identified candidates of insulin-like peptides that act in each process of starvation learning (memory acquisition, retention and retrieval) and the ubiquitin system which may regulate memory retrieval in the axon. Our study revealed some mechanisms in which the insulin pathways dynamically regulate neuronal functions during learning and memory.

Free Research Field

分子遺伝学