Molecular mechanisms of activity dependent neural circuit refinement

2017 Fiscal Year Final Research Report

• Project/Area Number: 15H05568
• Research Category: Grant-in-Aid for Young Scientists (A)
• Allocation Type: Single-year Grants
• Research Field: Neurophysiology / General neuroscience
• Research Institution: The University of Tokyo
• Principal Investigator: Uesaka Naofumi 東京大学, 大学院医学系研究科(医学部), 助教 (70597624)
• Project Period (FY): 2015-04-01 – 2018-03-31
• Keywords: シナプス / シナプス刈り込み / 神経活動 / シナプス入力 / 登上線維 / プルキンエ細胞 / バーグマングリア

Outline of Final Research Achievements

In the postnatal development of animals,necessary synapses in the brain are strengthened and unnecessary synapses are weakened and eliminated. This process is known as synapse elimination and important for the conversion of immature neural circuit to mature version. In this study, I tried to elucidate roles of neural activity and its molecular basis in synapse elimination of the cerebellar climbing fiber to Purkinje cell synapse in the developing mouse.I found that the neural activity of climbing fiber is necessary to eliminate unnecessary synapses and to complete the innervation of Purkinje cells by necessary climbing fibers. I also found that BDNF promotes synapse elimination and Progranulin counteracts synapse elimination.

Free Research Field

神経生理学