Analysis of neural circuit formation in the neocortex of socially isolated animals

2016 Fiscal Year Final Research Report

• Project/Area Number: 26290025
• Research Category: Grant-in-Aid for Scientific Research (B)
• Allocation Type: Partial Multi-year Fund
• Section: 一般
• Research Field: Neurochemistry/Neuropharmacology
• Research Institution: Yokohama City University
• Principal Investigator: TAKAHASHI Takuya 横浜市立大学, 医学(系)研究科(研究院), 教授 (20423824)
• Co-Investigator(Kenkyū-buntansha): 多田 敬典 国立研究開発法人国立長寿医療研究センター, 統合加齢神経科学研究部, 室長 (20464993)
• Project Period (FY): 2014-04-01 – 2017-03-31
• Keywords: 社会的隔離 / 内側前頭前野 / social dominace / cofilin

Outline of Final Research Achievements

Social maltreatment early in life can lead to the development of impaired interpersonal relationships and profound social disorders. However, the underlying cellular and molecular mechanisms involved are largely unknown. Here, we found that isolation of neonatal rats induced social dominance over non-isolated control rats from the same litter in juveniles that was glucocorticoid-dependent. Furthermore, neonatal isolation inactivated the actin-depolymerizing factor (ADF)/cofilin in the juvenile medial prefrontal cortex (mPFC). Isolation-induced inactivation of ADF/cofilin resulted in the decrease of glutamate synaptic AMPA (α-amino-3-hydroxy-5-methyl-4-isoxazole propionic acid) receptor (AMPAR) contents by the increase of stable actin fractions at dendritic spines in the juvenile mPFC. Thus, neonatal isolation affects spines in the mPFC by reducing actin dynamics, leading to abnormal social behavior later in life.

Free Research Field

神経科学