Role of chondroitin sulfate-E in the modulation of neuronal morphology

2016 Fiscal Year Final Research Report

• Project/Area Number: 26430078
• Research Category: Grant-in-Aid for Scientific Research (C)
• Allocation Type: Multi-year Fund
• Section: 一般
• Research Field: Neurochemistry/Neuropharmacology
• Research Institution: Kurume University
• Principal Investigator: Sotogaku Naoki 久留米大学, 医学部, 講師 (60368884)
• Co-Investigator(Renkei-kenkyūsha): SHIMAMURA Kenji 熊本大学, 発生医学研究所, 教授 (70301140) ; HATAKEYAMA Jun 熊本大学, 発生医学研究所, 助教 (90404350)
• Project Period (FY): 2014-04-01 – 2017-03-31
• Keywords: コンドロイチン硫酸 / 糖鎖分子 / 細胞外マトリックス / 神経細胞 / 神経細胞死

Outline of Final Research Achievements

Chondroitin sulfate (CS) is a family of extracellular matrix proteins that play important roles in the formation and maintenance of neural network. Although the biological importance of CS is well established in the CNS, the molecular mechanisms underlying the control by CS of neuronal morphology is largely unknown. In this study, we examined the effect of CS on cell morphology of cultured cortical neurons. In addition, the molecular mechanisms by which CS induces the morphological change were investigated. CS polysaccharide enriched in the CS-E sulfation motif induced the sphere formation of cortical neurons. The stimulatory effect of CS-E polysaccharide on sphere formation was completely abolished by a Akt and a Rb inhibitor. In addition, caspase 3 activity was significantly suppressed in CS-E-treated cortical neurons. These results suggest that CS-E sulfation motif is an important structural determinant and neuronal death.

Free Research Field

神経糖鎖生物学