Elucidation of the involvement of chaperone-mediated autophagy in the pathogenesis of neurodegenerative and psychiatric disorders

2015 Fiscal Year Final Research Report

• Project/Area Number: 25430065
• Research Category: Grant-in-Aid for Scientific Research (C)
• Allocation Type: Multi-year Fund
• Section: 一般
• Research Field: Neurochemistry/Neuropharmacology
• Research Institution: Kumamoto University
• Principal Investigator: Seki Takahiro 熊本大学, 大学院生命科学研究部, 准教授 (50335650)
• Project Period (FY): 2013-04-01 – 2016-03-31
• Keywords: シャペロン介在性オートファジー / ミクロオートファジー / パーキンソン病

Outline of Final Research Achievements

In the present study, we attempted to establish a novel method to monitor chaperone-mediated autophagy (CMA) and microautophagy (mA) acitivities, separately. siRNA-mediated knockdown of CMA- and mA-related proteins enabled us to assess CMA and mA activities, separately, in cells expressing GAPDH-HT, a reporter protein of CMA/mA activity. Using this method, we revealed that the CMA/mA activity is significantly decreased in drug-induced cell model of Pakinson's disease. Moreover, a chemical that activates CMA prominently inhibited cell death in this model. These findings strongly suggest that distrubance of CMA/mA activity would render the pathogenesis of Parkinson's disease.

Free Research Field

神経薬理学