| First Author | Wei Q | Year | 2018 |
| Journal | Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A | Volume | 115 |
| Issue | 40 | Pages | E9489-E9498 |
| PubMed ID | 30224492 | Mgi Jnum | J:265913 |
| Mgi Id | MGI:6201671 | Doi | 10.1073/pnas.1802237115 |
| Citation | Wei Q, et al. (2018) Uneven balance of power between hypothalamic peptidergic neurons in the control of feeding. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 115(40):E9489-E9498 |
| abstractText | Two classes of peptide-producing neurons in the arcuate nucleus (Arc) of the hypothalamus are known to exert opposing actions on feeding: the anorexigenic neurons that express proopiomelanocortin (POMC) and the orexigenic neurons that express agouti-related protein (AgRP) and neuropeptide Y (NPY). These neurons are thought to arise from a common embryonic progenitor, but our anatomical and functional understanding of the interplay of these two peptidergic systems that contribute to the control of feeding remains incomplete. The present study uses a combination of optogenetic stimulation with viral and transgenic approaches, coupled with neural activity mapping and brain transparency visualization to demonstrate the following: (i) selective activation of Arc POMC neurons inhibits food consumption rapidly in unsated animals; (ii) activation of Arc neurons arising from POMC-expressing progenitors, including POMC and a subset of AgRP neurons, triggers robust feeding behavior, even in the face of satiety signals from POMC neurons; (iii) the opposing effects on food intake are associated with distinct neuronal projection and activation patterns of adult hypothalamic POMC neurons versus Arc neurons derived from POMC-expressing lineages; and (iv) the increased food intake following the activation of orexigenic neurons derived from POMC-expressing progenitors engages an extensive neural network that involves the endogenous opioid system. Together, these findings shed further light on the dynamic balance between two peptidergic systems in the moment-to-moment regulation of feeding behavior. |
