佐々木　綾子（時空生物学講座　心生物学グループ M2）
派遣期間：平成16年10月22日-10月29日（7日間）
派遣目的：Neuroscience 2004 34th Annual Meeting（San Diego, U.S.A.)に参加し、研究成果発表を行う

The presentation at the Neuroscience 2004 34th Annual Meeting（San Diego, U.S.A.)


outline of the trip:
1. Purpose of the trip

• Participation in Neuroscience 2004 34th Annual Meeting（San Diego, U.S.A.) and poster presentation.
• By the contact of research presentation from various fields, I get a broader perspective ( for example method and attack of research activities )
• I have discussions with resercher in other countries by English ( set on an aggressive approach toward presentation )

2. Content of the trip
　The genomic organization of cadherin-related neuronal receptor/protocadherin (CNR/Pcdh) gene cluster is divided into variable and constant region exons. This organization raised the possibility that the CNR/Pcdh gene cluster may produce diversified gene products. Using RT-PCR method, we have previously suggested somatic mutations in transcripts of　CNR/Pcdh gene in the brain. However, these results were included many artificial error of PCR. In this study, to exclude PCR-error and confirm the somatic mutations in CNR/Pcdha transcripts, we examined cDNAs from CNR/Pcdha specific cDNA library without the use of PCR. Three cDNA libraries were synthesized from C57BL/6 mouse cerebral cortex at postnatal day one (P1). Two of three were included N-cadherin and b-actin as control. We isolated independent clones of CNR/Pcdha(161), N-cadherin (138) and b-actin (302). As a result of sequencing analysis, a significant increase was found in CNR/Pcdha transcripts (4.6x10-5) compared to N-cadherin (1.1x10-5) or b-actin (1.7x10-5). Our results indicated that CNR/Pcdha transcripts have somatic mutation at P1 cerebral cortex.

3. Result of the trip

• This presentation showed me some questions, intense public interests and new techniques for our investigates. In addition various researches gave me large variety of interests.
• I felt great power from foreign researcher to treat each research with seriousness. I was learned how to make things enjoyable and exciting sciences.
• I had many opportunities for talking with active in the front lines researcher.
• Because of going to this meeting alone, I went away fear of speaking English and of foreign people. This trip was meaningful education for my school life.

4. Perspective and future plans

• I will indicate definite our result to establish somatic mutations.
• I will participate other seminars and make discussions, to make good our experiments.