Study of the Molecular-Anatomical Basis of Human-Specific Synapses via Synaptome Mapping in Human Post-Mortem Brains

Research Period:
FY2025-FY2027

Principal Investigator

Motokazu Uchigashima
Research Professor, Brain Research Institute, Niigata University
Human brains differ in the structure and function from animal model brains. Thus, the molecular-anatomical knowledge about synaptic diversity in the human brain is essential for understanding human brain dynamics. By fixing human post-mortem brains with fixatives suitable for immunohistochemical detections of synaptic molecules, our research project aims to create a comprehensive map of human brain synaptome, which represents the molecular profiles of individual synapses in brain tissues. This will help reveal the molecular-anatomical basis and functional roles of human-specific synapses in the brain dynamics.

Co-Investigator

Rie Saito
Assistant Professor, Brain Research Institute, Niigata University
Miwako Yamasaki
Associate Professor, Hokkaido University Graduate School of Medicine