2006 Fiscal Year Final Research Report Summary
The molecular basis of gene net work which is involved in the development and function of Drosophila mushroom bodies.
| Project/Area Number |
17570001
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| Research Category |
Grant-in-Aid for Scientific Research (C)
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| Allocation Type | Single-year Grants |
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| Section | 一般 |
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| Research Field |
Genetics/Genome dynamics
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| Research Institution | National Institute of Genetics (2006)
University of Tsukuba (2005) |
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Principal Investigator |
KOBAYASHI Masatomo National Institute of Genetics, Structure Biology Center, Postdoctoral fellow, 構造遺伝学研究センター, 博士研究員 (40360549)
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| Co-Investigator(Kenkyū-buntansha) |
FURUKUBO Katsuo (TOKUNAGA Katsuo) University of Tsukuba, Graduate School of Life and Environmental Sciences, Associate Professor, 大学院・生命環境科学研究科, 助教授 (00272154)
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| Project Period (FY) |
2005 – 2006
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| Keywords | Mushroom bodies / Brain / Drosophila / Learning and memory / microarray / RNAi |
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| Research Abstract |
Mushroom bodies (MBs) are the centers for higher-order functions in the Drosophila brain, participating in diverse behaviors such as olfactory associative learning and elementary cognition. As way to systematically elucidate genes preferentially expressed in MBs, we have analysed genome-wide alterations in transcript profiles associated with MB ablation by hydroxyurea. We selected 100 genes based on microarray data and examined their expression patterns in the brain by in situ hybridization. Seventy genes were found to be expressed in the posterodorsal cortex, which habors the MB cell bodies. These genes encode proteins of diverse functions, including transcription, signaling, cell adhesion, channels, and transporters. Moreover, we have examined developmental functions of 40 of the microarray-identified genes by transgenic RNA interference (RNAi) ; 8 genes was found to cause mid to strong MB defects when suppressed with a MB-specific Ga14 driver. These results provide important information not only on the repertoire of genes that control MB development but also on the repertoire of neural factors that may have important physiological functions in MB plasticity. In the future, we would like to try to elucidate specific neural processes and functions regulated by each of the identified genes by further genetic and behavior analyses.
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Research Products
(2 results)
