Role of hippocampal predictive firing in decision making

2018 Fiscal Year Final Research Report

• Project/Area Number: 17K19631
• Research Category: Grant-in-Aid for Challenging Research (Exploratory)
• Allocation Type: Multi-year Fund
• Research Field: Brain sciences and related fields
• Research Institution: Kyoto University
• Principal Investigator: Hayashi Yasunori 京都大学, 医学研究科, 教授 (90466037)
• Project Period (FY): 2017-06-30 – 2019-03-31
• Keywords: 光活性化蛋白質 / 記憶・学習 / スパイン / 興奮性シナプス / CREB / CaMKIV / 光プローブ

Outline of Final Research Achievements

We attempted to generate photoactivatable CREB and CaMKIV. Because both are nuclear proteins, we first generated a photoactivatable nuclear localization signal (paNLS). The resultant fusion protein, nuclear export signal-LOV2 domain-nuclear localization signal tagged with mCherry, translocated to the nucleus by photostimualtion. However, when we fused it with CREB and monitored activity by expressing luciferase under CRE, there was a significant leak of activity even under the darkness. We therefore decided to generate a dominant negative CREB and CaMKIV.

Free Research Field

神経科学

Academic Significance and Societal Importance of the Research Achievements

本研究は、記憶形成のメカニズムに踏み込むもので、多彩な記憶障害を伴う疾患（例えば認知症など）や記憶が病的に更新する疾患（たとえばPTSDや薬物依存）の理解と治療に役立つと期待される。