1-1-8 Brain research in the 20th century/Gene manipulation and behavioral neuroscience

With the completion of genome analysis, genes associated with a particular trait and their locations have been revealed, which enables us to regulate the expression of a specific gene. Gene knockout techniques alter a specific gene in the stem cell stage, so that that gene is not expressed.

The Gene Knockout Method, used to understand the role of a particular gene product in brain function, was attempted relatively early, and has contributed to some important discoveries. (Fig.8)

The role of behavioral neuroscience is to clarify the influence of a genetic defect, by analyzing the change in behavior of knockout mice under various conditions.

However, in knockout experiments, the mortality rate of fetuses is high, and even in thriving specimens, the phenotypical change can not always be seen due to alternative gene expressions occuring.

To avoid these problems, Conditional Gene Targeting, a method by which the target gene in a mature specimen is isolated and expressed by substituting the sequences before and after the target gene, was designed and utilized.

Challenge Quiz

1.

The method to knockout the target gene in the stage of stem cell is considered ( widely effective effective in a limited range quite limited, almost invalid  正解!) in the brain science field.

2.

To improve this method,( delayed knock out method time limited knock out method conditional targeting method slow targeting method  正解!) that separates the target gene after birth was designed and effectiveness has increased.