Research

The major research in our department is to study the organization and development of the neuronal circuits, by means of the molecular biological, anatomical and physiological methods. Current researches are focused on the functional organization of the memory and motor control mechanism and the mechanism of development of the central nervous system. Our research field covers wide aspects from genetic, molecular and cellular levels to system level of the brain. We are thereby challenging to understand the etiology of the mental retardation, senile dementia, movement disorders, and congenital malformation of the central nervous system.

Outline of Projects

1. To study the anatomical basis of the memory function in the mammalian brain, we are investigating the morphology of single neurons and neuronal circuitry of the hippocampus and the related areas. In these analyses, light and electron microscopical studies are performed by using modern methods for tract tracing, intracellular injection of HRP and immunohistochemistry.
2. Neuroanatomical and neurophysiological studies of motor control mechanism by the cortical areas and basal ganglia.
3. To understand the developmental mechanism of the mammalian central nervous system, we are analyzing the mode of neuronal migration and the cell-to-cell interactions among neurons and glia in various culture systems.
4. To understand the molecular mechanisms underlying neural development, plasticity and disease, we are studying on the functions of genes such as transcriptional factors and protein kinases in these processes by using Drosophila melanogaster whose complete genomic sequencing permits a comparative analysis as a model organism.

Neuronal circuits of the memory function

Pyramidal cell in the CA3 field of the rat hippocampus (intracellular injection of HRP in the slice preparation of 400µm thickness) alv:alveus, ori:stratum oriens, p:pyramidal cell layer, luc:atratum lucidum, rad:stratum radiatum, mol:stratum lacunosum-moleculare. scale bar: 100µm.

Staff