FY2023 Annual Report

Abstract

The Memory Research Unit aims to understand how memories are stored and used in the brain. The hippocampus, together with its related structures, plays a unique role in memories of past events. Nevertheless, its specific contribution remains unclear. Our unit aims to reveal the mechanism of memory by using multidisciplinary approaches in rodents.

During FY2023, we relocated our laboratory from Lab4 to Lab5 building. This process involved tremendous amounts of work, including the transfer and set-up of major research equipment, restarting our mouse colony from frozen sperms, and establishment of new management systems. Thanks to the efforts of relevant supporting sections, BFM, OHS, and lab members, we achieved a smooth transition and set up a new laboratory in Lab5 with an expected delay in our research activity. In the late FY2023, we have already initiated experiments in a well-controlled research environment and will complete some of our ongoing research projects in FY2024 as a form of publication. While relocating, we published two research articles from research collaborations (Horii-Hayashi et al., 2024; Li et al., 2024), and a book chapter is currently in press (Andreoli & Tanaka, in press). Furthermore, we organized the first OIST-RIKEN Brain Science Symposium in August 2023 and enjoyed dense scientific discussions and interactions between the two major research institutes in the field of neuroscience. Our ongoing research is funded by Grant-in-Aid for Scientific Research B and Grant-in-Aid for Transformative Research Areas A.

記憶研究ユニットは、脳がどのように記憶を保存し、そして使うのかを理解しようとしています。中でも海馬は、その周辺領域とともに、過去の体験についての記憶に特別な役割を持っています。しかし、具体的にその役割が何なのかは未だ確かには分かっていません。私達の目標は、げっ歯類を使った分野横断的な研究アプローチを通して、記憶のメカニズムを明らかにすることです。

2023年度は、新造されたLab5研究棟へと研究室を移設しました。実験機器の移動と再セットアップ、凍結精子からの実験動物の再繁殖、新しい管理システムの導入など、多大な労力を伴う移設にはなりましたが、関連する支援セクションやBFM、OHS、そしてラボメンバーの努力によって、研究室の移設を予定通りに遂行することができました。2023年度後半には、Lab5のより洗練された研究環境において実験を開始することができ、2024年度中には進行中の研究プロジェクトのいくつかを論文として発表することを予定しています。研究室移設に並行して、いくつかの共同研究を論文として発表しました（Horii-Hayashi et al., 2024; Li et al., 2024)）。また、研究室が関わった書籍も出版準備中です（Andreoli & Tanaka, in press）。さらに2023年夏には、初めてのOIST-RIKEN Brain Science Symposiumが開催され、OISTと理研という神経科学分野で最も大規模な2研究機関の研究者達が交流を深めました。こうした私たちの研究活動は、OISTによるハイトラストファンディングのみならず、日本学術振興会による科学研究助成事業による支援のもとで行われています（基盤B＆学変A）。

 

Staff

  • Damien Mercier, Staff Scientist (Feb. 2020-)
  • Hiroto Ashitomi, Technician (Mar. 2020-)
  • Keiko Nakamura, Research Unit Administrator
  • Viviane Saito, Postdoctoral Scholar (Jul. 2020-Aug. 2024)
  • Ai Takahashi, Technician (Apr. 2022-)
  • Ming-Ching Chang, Staff Scientist (Jun. 2024-)
  • Suteera Viboonyasek, JSPS Postdoctoral Scholar (Jun. 2024-)
  • Joji Nakamura, Part-time Technical Staff

Students

  • Lorena Andreoli, Ph.D. student
  • Thato Mokhothu, Ph.D. student
  • Yu-Ju Lin, Ph.D. student
  • Tomoka Yoseyama, Ph.D. student
  • Miyu Nambu, Ph.D. student
  • Mao-Ting Hsu, Ph.D. student (co-supervised with Jeff Wickens)
  • Josefine Reuschenbach, Ph.D. student (co-supervised with Izumi Fukunaga)
  • Yuma Kajihara, Ph.D. student (co-supervised with Kenji Doya)
  • Balashwethan Chockalingam, Ph.D. student (co-supervised with Tomoki Fukai)

Collaborations

 

3.1 Inter-unit collaborations

  • Physiology underlying different spatial strategies (Wickens unit)
  • Role of Serotonin neurons in the paraventricular thalamus (Doya unit)
  • Olfactory working memory (Fukunaga unit)
  • Characterization of humanized mice (Paabo unit)

3.2 Inter-institutional collaborations

  • Four collaboration projects are ongoing.

Publications

 

4.1 Journals

 

  1. “Entrance-sealing behavior in the home cage: a defensive response to potential threats linked to the serotonergic system and manifestation of repetitive/stereotypic behavior in mice”
    Horii-Hayashi N, Masuda K, Kato T, Kobayashi K, Inutsuka A, Nambu MF, Tanaka KZ, Inoue K, Nishi M.
    Front Behav Neurosci. 2024 Jan 5;17:1289520. doi: 10.3389/fnbeh.2023.1289520. PMID: 38249128;
  2. “Silencing dentate newborn neurons alters excitatory/inhibitory balance and impairs behavioral inhibition and flexibility.”
    Li H, Tamura R, Hayashi D, Asai H, Koga J, Ando S, Yokota S, Kaneko J, Sakurai K, Sumiyoshi A, Yamamoto T, Hikishima K, Tanaka KZ, McHugh TJ, Hisatsune T.
    Sci Adv. 2024 Jan 12;10(2):eadk4741. doi: 10.1126/sciadv.adk4741. Epub 2024 Jan 10. PMID: 38198539

 

4.2 Books and other one-time publications

 

  1. “What can hippocampal engrams tell us about encoding spatial navigation?”
    Andreoli L, Tanaka KZ
    “Engrams: A Window Into the Memory Trace” edited by Dr. Dr. Johannes Gräff and Dr. Steve Ramirez, book chapter in press, Springer Nature

 

Oral and Poster Presentations

  1. “Dynamic Nature in the Hippocampus and Memory” (talk)
    Tanaka KZ
    Hibernation Biology 2.0 Annual Meeting, June 8 2023
  2. “Hippocampal Memory and Representation” (talk)
    Tanaka KZ
    OIST Computational Neuroscience Course, June 29 2023
  3. “Dynamic Nature of Brain Functions and Homeodynamism”
    Tanaka KZ
    Hibernation Biology 2.0, Kick-off Symposium, July 24 2023
  4. “Dynamic Nature of Memory Representation and the Hippocampal Network Revealed by the Hibernation-like State” (talk)
    Tanaka KZ
    Japanese Society of Sleep Research Annual Meeting, Sep 15-17 2023
  5. “記憶研究がもたらす革新技術への展望” (talk)
    Tanaka KZ
    Esse-sense Forum 2023, Sep 22 2023
  6. “Dynamic Nature of Memory Representation” (talk)
    Tanaka KZ
    BOG meeting at OIST, Sep 28 2023
  7. “Dynamic Nature of Memory Representation and the Hippocampal Network Revealed by the Hibernation-like State” (talk)
    Tanaka KZ
    Hibernation Biology 2.0, Young Researcher’s Symposium, Oct 12 2023
  8. “Dynamic Nature of Memory Representation and the Hippocampal Network” (talk)
    Tanaka KZ
    大脳皮質を中心とした神経回路：構造と機能、その作動原理 (National Institute of Physiological Science Annual Meeting), Oct 13 2023
  9. “Hippocampal Memory and Representation?” (talk)
    Tanaka KZ
    Tsukuba University Leading-Edge Science Seminar, Nov 6 2023
  10. “Dynamic Nature of Memory Representation” (talk)
    Tanaka KZ
    Voluntary Hospitals of Japan Annual Meeting, Nov 17 2023

Intellectual Property Rights and Other Specific Achievements

 

  1. “Utilization of a hibernation-like state in temporal lobe epilepsy”
    Mokhothu TM, Lin YJ, Nambu MF, Tanaka KZ
    2024 Jan 4, WO2024/004500

 

Meetings and Events

OIST-RIKEN Brain Symposium
OIST B250 seminar room, Aug 21-23 2023

 

Community Services

 

[Committee Service]

  1. Curriculum & Examinations Committee
  2. Neuroscience Club (organized by OIST students in neuroscience fields), Faculty Advisor

[Outreach Activity]

  1. TV interview, “笑ってこらえて” (NTV, April 2023)
  2. Kids Science School in Summer (August 2023)
  3. TV interview, “Okinawa Friday Cruise - Kinru Kuru "Sense of Wonder"- Shinichi Fukuoka explores Okinawa's undiscovered hub of knowledge” (NHK, November 2023)