Visualization of maternal separation memory engram and retrieval by activating positive memory engram

2017 Fiscal Year Final Research Report

• Project/Area Number: 15H04671
• Research Category: Grant-in-Aid for Scientific Research (B)
• Allocation Type: Single-year Grants
• Section: 一般
• Research Field: General anatomy (including histology/embryology)
• Research Institution: Nara Medical University
• Principal Investigator: Nishi Mayumi 奈良県立医科大学, 医学部, 教授 (40295639)
• Co-Investigator(Kenkyū-buntansha): 堀井 謹子 奈良県立医科大学, 医学部, 講師 (80433332) ; 東 超 奈良県立医科大学, 医学部, 学内講師 (90326322)
• Co-Investigator(Renkei-kenkyūsha): HAYASHI Yasunori 京都大学, 大学院医学研究科・医学部, 教授 (90466037)
• Project Period (FY): 2015-04-01 – 2018-03-31
• Keywords: 記憶の痕跡 / 光遺伝学 / 幼児虐待 / c-fos遺伝子プロモーター / ストレス / HPA-axis / 養育行動

Outline of Final Research Achievements

We investigated whether the memory of maternal separation (MS) during early life is recalled. In order to address this issue, we tried to manipulate the memory engram induced by MS by irreversibly labeling the activated neurons during MS and re-activate these neurons by using optogenetic method. Furthermore, we analyzed maternal behaviors in the offspring suffered from MS. We found that these female offspring showed disorder of maternal behaviors including nest making, retrieving, etc., which caused higher death rate (more than 85%) in the neonatal period than control group.

Free Research Field

神経内分泌学、神経解剖学