Investigation of the mechanisms involved in both obtainment of ocular preference of premature neurons and grouping of same ocular preference neurons during cortical development.

2016 Fiscal Year Final Research Report

• Project/Area Number: 26460298
• Research Category: Grant-in-Aid for Scientific Research (C)
• Allocation Type: Multi-year Fund
• Section: 一般
• Research Field: General physiology
• Research Institution: Kochi University
• Principal Investigator: TOMITA Koichi 高知大学, 教育研究部医療学系基礎医学部門, 准教授 (80314285)
• Research Collaborator: HIRABAYASHI Masumi ; SANBO Makoto
• Project Period (FY): 2014-04-01 – 2017-03-31
• Keywords: 眼優位カラム / 初期形成プロセス / 可塑的発達プロセス / 形成メカニズム

Outline of Final Research Achievements

Ocular dominance (OD) columns are known to be fundamental units of processing visual information to sense depth in the primary visual cortex. Coarse OD columns are set up by molecular cues before eye open, which are subsequently remodeled to the functional structure by visual activity after eye open. In the initial step, premature neurons endowed with same ocular preference are grouped into columnar architectures. Our recent data implied that both obtainment of ocular preference of premature neurons and grouping of same preference neurons were regulated by common mechanisms. We are now analyzing the function of a candidate molecule that might be involved in the control of the initial step.

Free Research Field

神経解剖学　神経生理学