Hippocampus-synthesized brain steroids are strong modulators of neuronal synapses and memory

2016 Fiscal Year Final Research Report

• Project/Area Number: 26430006
• Research Category: Grant-in-Aid for Scientific Research (C)
• Allocation Type: Multi-year Fund
• Section: 一般
• Research Field: Neurophysiology / General neuroscience
• Research Institution: Juntendo University (2015-2016); The University of Tokyo (2014)
• Principal Investigator: KAWATO Suguru 順天堂大学, 医学部, 客員教授 (50169736)
• Project Period (FY): 2014-04-01 – 2017-03-31
• Keywords: 神経内分泌学 / 脳ステロイド / 海馬 / シナプス / 記憶

Outline of Final Research Achievements

Sex-steroids rapidly and non-genomically modulated the dendritic spines in the rat hippocampus. We analyzed the molecular mechanisms of these modulations by using 3-dimentional confocal microscopic imaging of neuronal synapses. Upon application of male hormones (T and DHT) and female hormones (E2 PROG) for 2 h, the density of dendritic spines were significantly increased. The signal pathways of these modulations were “binding of sex-steroids to their classic steroid receptors in spines → phosphorylation of kinases such as LIMK and MAPK → phosphorylation of cofilin and cortactin → actin polymerization → spine increase”. From electrophysiological investigations, nongenomic pathway of E2-induced long-term potentiation was also found.

Free Research Field

神経内分泌学