Analysis of the molecular mechanism of signal transduction and identification of novel molecules in neural circuit-dependent odor adaptation in C. elegans

动物降低对持续气味刺激的敏感性，以保持对刺激强度变化的高度敏感性。这种现象被称为嗅觉适应，它发生在两个层面上；外围层面和中心层面。我分析了秀丽隐杆线虫的后一种适应，即依赖于神经回路的适应。在这项研究中，我成功地对Ras的活性进行了实时成像，Ras在这种适应中起着重要作用。我还发现AMP激酶和翻译起始因子参与了适应。此外，为了揭示气味刺激的输入机制，我尝试鉴定特定气味的嗅觉受体，并获得了一些候选受体基因。

Animals decrease their sensitivity to continuous odorant stimuli to maintain their high sensitivity to changes in stimulus intensities. This phenomenon is referred to as olfactory adaptation, which occurs at two levels; the peripheral level and the central level. I have analyzed the latter type of adaptation, neural circuit-dependent adaptation, in C.elegans. In this study, I succeeded in live imaging of the activity of Ras, which plays major roles in this adaptation. I also found that AMP kinase and a translation initiation factor are involved in the adaptation. In addition, to reveal the mechanism of input of odorant stimuli, I tried to identify olfactory receptors for specific odorants and obtained some candidate receptor genes.