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Stark R, Dempsey H, Kleeman E, Sassi M, Osborne-Lawrence S, Sheybani-Deloui S, Rushby HJ, Mirth CK, Austin-Muttitt K, Mullins J, Zigman JM, Davies JS, Andrews ZB. Hunger signalling in the olfactory bulb primes exploration, food-seeking and peripheral metabolism. Mol Metab 2024; 89:102025. [PMID: 39236785 DOI: 10.1016/j.molmet.2024.102025] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/09/2024] [Revised: 08/15/2024] [Accepted: 09/02/2024] [Indexed: 09/07/2024] Open
Abstract
OBJECTIVE Although the metabolic state of an organism affects olfactory function, the precise mechanisms and their impact on behavior and metabolism remain unknown. Here, we assess whether ghrelin receptors (GHSRs) in the olfactory bulb (OB) increase olfactory function and influence foraging behaviors and metabolism. METHODS We performed a detailed behavioural and metabolic analysis in mice lacking GHSRs in the OB (OBGHSR deletion). We also analsyed OB scRNA-seq and spatial transcriptomic datasets to assess GHSR+ cells in the main and accessory olfactory bulbs, as well as the anterior olfactory nucleus. RESULTS OBGHSR deletion affected olfactory discrimination and habituation to both food and non-food odors. Anxiety-like and depression-like behaviors were significantly greater after OBGHSR deletion, whereas exploratory behavior was reduced, with the greatest effect under fasted conditions. OBGHSR deletion impacted feeding behavior as evidenced by altered bout number and duration, as well as buried food-seeking. OBGHSR deletion increased body weight and fat mass, spared fat utilisation on a chow diet and impaired glucose metabolism indicating metabolic dysfunction. Cross referenced analysis of OB scRNA-seq and spatial transcriptomic datasets revealed GHSR+ glutamate neurons in the main and accessory olfactory bulbs, as well as the anterior olfactory nucleus. Ablation of glutamate neurons in the OB reduced ghrelin-induced food finding and phenocopied results seen after OBGHSR deletion. CONCLUSIONS OBGHSRs help to maintain olfactory function, particularly during hunger, and facilitate behavioral adaptations that optimise food-seeking in anxiogenic environments, priming metabolic pathways in preparation for food consumption.
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Affiliation(s)
- Romana Stark
- Monash Biomedicine Discovery Institute and Department of Physiology, Monash University, Clayton, Victoria, Australia.
| | - Harry Dempsey
- Monash Biomedicine Discovery Institute and Department of Physiology, Monash University, Clayton, Victoria, Australia
| | - Elizabeth Kleeman
- The Florey Institute of Neuroscience and Mental Health, Mental Health Division, Parkville, Melbourne, Australia
| | - Martina Sassi
- Institute of Life Sciences, School of Medicine, Swansea University, Swansea, UK
| | - Sherri Osborne-Lawrence
- Center for Hypothalamic Research, Department of Internal Medicine, UT Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, TX, USA; Division of Endocrinology, Department of Internal Medicine, UT Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, TX, USA; Department of Psychiatry, UT Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, TX, USA
| | - Sepideh Sheybani-Deloui
- Center for Hypothalamic Research, Department of Internal Medicine, UT Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, TX, USA; Division of Endocrinology, Department of Internal Medicine, UT Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, TX, USA; Department of Psychiatry, UT Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, TX, USA
| | - Helen J Rushby
- School of Biological Sciences, Monash University, Clayton, Victoria, Australia
| | - Christen K Mirth
- School of Biological Sciences, Monash University, Clayton, Victoria, Australia
| | - Karl Austin-Muttitt
- Institute of Life Sciences, School of Medicine, Swansea University, Swansea, UK
| | - Jonathan Mullins
- Institute of Life Sciences, School of Medicine, Swansea University, Swansea, UK
| | - Jeffrey M Zigman
- Center for Hypothalamic Research, Department of Internal Medicine, UT Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, TX, USA; Division of Endocrinology, Department of Internal Medicine, UT Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, TX, USA; Department of Psychiatry, UT Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, TX, USA
| | - Jeffrey S Davies
- Institute of Life Sciences, School of Medicine, Swansea University, Swansea, UK
| | - Zane B Andrews
- Monash Biomedicine Discovery Institute and Department of Physiology, Monash University, Clayton, Victoria, Australia.
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2
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Alcantara IC, Li C, Mickelsen LE, Mazzone CM, de Araujo Salgado I, Gao C, Papas BN, Xiao C, Karolczak EO, Goldschmidt AI, Gonzalez SR, Piñol RA, Li JL, Cui G, Reitman ML, Krashes MJ. A Hypothalamic Circuit that Modulates Feeding and Parenting Behaviors. BIORXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR BIOLOGY 2024:2024.07.22.604437. [PMID: 39091749 PMCID: PMC11291030 DOI: 10.1101/2024.07.22.604437] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 08/04/2024]
Abstract
Across mammalian species, new mothers undergo considerable behavioral changes to nurture their offspring and meet the caloric demands of milk production1-5. While many neural circuits underlying feeding and parenting behaviors are well characterized6-9, it is unclear how these different circuits interact and adapt during lactation. Here, we characterized the transcriptomic changes in the arcuate nucleus (ARC) and the medial preoptic area (MPOA) of the mouse hypothalamus in response to lactation and hunger. Furthermore, we showed that heightened appetite in lactating mice was accompanied by increased activity of hunger-promoting agouti-related peptide (AgRP) neurons in the ARC. To assess the strength of hunger versus maternal drives, we designed a conflict assay where female mice chose between a food source or a chamber containing pups and nesting material. Although food-deprived lactating mothers prioritized parenting over feeding, hunger reduced the duration and disrupted the sequences of parenting behaviors in both lactating and virgin females. We discovered that ARCAgRP neurons directly inhibit bombesin receptor subtype-3 (BRS3) neurons in the MPOA, a population that governs both parenting and satiety. Selective activation of this ARCAgRP to MPOABRS3 circuit shifted behaviors from parenting to food-seeking. Thus, hypothalamic networks are modulated by physiological states and work antagonistically during the prioritization of competing motivated behaviors.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ivan C. Alcantara
- Diabetes, Endocrinology, and Obesity Branch, National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD, USA 20892
- Department of Neuroscience, Brown University, Providence, RI, USA 20912
| | - Chia Li
- Diabetes, Endocrinology, and Obesity Branch, National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD, USA 20892
| | - Laura E. Mickelsen
- Diabetes, Endocrinology, and Obesity Branch, National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD, USA 20892
| | - Christopher M. Mazzone
- National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences, National Institutes of Health, Durham, NC, USA 27709
| | - Isabel de Araujo Salgado
- Diabetes, Endocrinology, and Obesity Branch, National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD, USA 20892
| | - Claire Gao
- Diabetes, Endocrinology, and Obesity Branch, National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD, USA 20892
| | - Brian N. Papas
- Biostatistics and Computational Biology Branch, National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences, Durham, NC, USA 27709
| | - Cuiying Xiao
- Diabetes, Endocrinology, and Obesity Branch, National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD, USA 20892
| | - Eva O. Karolczak
- Diabetes, Endocrinology, and Obesity Branch, National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD, USA 20892
| | - Abigail I. Goldschmidt
- Diabetes, Endocrinology, and Obesity Branch, National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD, USA 20892
| | - Shakira Rodriguez Gonzalez
- Diabetes, Endocrinology, and Obesity Branch, National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD, USA 20892
| | - Ramón A. Piñol
- Diabetes, Endocrinology, and Obesity Branch, National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD, USA 20892
| | - Jian-Liang Li
- Biostatistics and Computational Biology Branch, National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences, Durham, NC, USA 27709
| | - Guohong Cui
- National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences, National Institutes of Health, Durham, NC, USA 27709
| | - Marc L. Reitman
- Diabetes, Endocrinology, and Obesity Branch, National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD, USA 20892
| | - Michael J. Krashes
- Diabetes, Endocrinology, and Obesity Branch, National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD, USA 20892
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3
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Kucukdereli H, Amsalem O, Pottala T, Lim M, Potgieter L, Hasbrouck A, Lutas A, Andermann ML. Repeated stress triggers seeking of a starvation-like state in anxiety-prone female mice. Neuron 2024; 112:2130-2141.e7. [PMID: 38642553 PMCID: PMC11287784 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuron.2024.03.027] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/18/2023] [Revised: 01/28/2024] [Accepted: 03/27/2024] [Indexed: 04/22/2024]
Abstract
Elevated anxiety often precedes anorexia nervosa and persists after weight restoration. Patients with anorexia nervosa often describe self-starvation as pleasant, potentially because food restriction can be anxiolytic. Here, we tested whether repeated stress can cause animals to prefer a starvation-like state. We developed a virtual reality place preference paradigm in which head-fixed mice can voluntarily seek a starvation-like state induced by optogenetic stimulation of hypothalamic agouti-related peptide (AgRP) neurons. Prior to stress exposure, males but not females showed a mild aversion to AgRP stimulation. Strikingly, following multiple days of stress, a subset of females developed a strong preference for AgRP stimulation that was predicted by high baseline anxiety. Such stress-induced changes in preference were reflected in changes in facial expressions during AgRP stimulation. Our study suggests that stress may cause females predisposed to anxiety to seek a starvation state and provides a powerful experimental framework for investigating the underlying neural mechanisms.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hakan Kucukdereli
- Division of Endocrinology, Diabetes and Metabolism, Department of Medicine, Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02215, USA
| | - Oren Amsalem
- Division of Endocrinology, Diabetes and Metabolism, Department of Medicine, Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02215, USA
| | - Trent Pottala
- Division of Endocrinology, Diabetes and Metabolism, Department of Medicine, Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02215, USA
| | - Michelle Lim
- Division of Endocrinology, Diabetes and Metabolism, Department of Medicine, Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02215, USA
| | - Leilani Potgieter
- Division of Endocrinology, Diabetes and Metabolism, Department of Medicine, Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02215, USA
| | - Amanda Hasbrouck
- Division of Endocrinology, Diabetes and Metabolism, Department of Medicine, Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02215, USA
| | - Andrew Lutas
- Division of Endocrinology, Diabetes and Metabolism, Department of Medicine, Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02215, USA
| | - Mark L Andermann
- Division of Endocrinology, Diabetes and Metabolism, Department of Medicine, Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02215, USA; Department of Neurobiology, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, 02115, USA.
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4
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Dodt S, Widdershooven NV, Dreisow ML, Weiher L, Steuernagel L, Wunderlich FT, Brüning JC, Fenselau H. NPY-mediated synaptic plasticity in the extended amygdala prioritizes feeding during starvation. Nat Commun 2024; 15:5439. [PMID: 38937485 PMCID: PMC11211344 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-024-49766-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/30/2023] [Accepted: 06/18/2024] [Indexed: 06/29/2024] Open
Abstract
Efficient control of feeding behavior requires the coordinated adjustment of complex motivational and affective neurocircuits. Neuropeptides from energy-sensing hypothalamic neurons are potent feeding modulators, but how these endogenous signals shape relevant circuits remains unclear. Here, we examine how the orexigenic neuropeptide Y (NPY) adapts GABAergic inputs to the bed nucleus of the stria terminalis (BNST). We find that fasting increases synaptic connectivity between agouti-related peptide (AgRP)-expressing 'hunger' and BNST neurons, a circuit that promotes feeding. In contrast, GABAergic input from the central amygdala (CeA), an extended amygdala circuit that decreases feeding, is reduced. Activating NPY-expressing AgRP neurons evokes these synaptic adaptations, which are absent in NPY-deficient mice. Moreover, fasting diminishes the ability of CeA projections in the BNST to suppress food intake, and NPY-deficient mice fail to decrease anxiety in order to promote feeding. Thus, AgRP neurons drive input-specific synaptic plasticity, enabling a selective shift in hunger and anxiety signaling during starvation through NPY.
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Affiliation(s)
- Stephan Dodt
- Synaptic Transmission in Energy Homeostasis Group, Max Planck Institute for Metabolism Research, Gleueler Strasse 50, 50931, Cologne, Germany
- Department of Neuronal Control of Metabolism, Max Planck Institute for Metabolism Research, Gleueler Strasse 50, 50931, Cologne, Germany
| | - Noah V Widdershooven
- Department of Neuronal Control of Metabolism, Max Planck Institute for Metabolism Research, Gleueler Strasse 50, 50931, Cologne, Germany
| | - Marie-Luise Dreisow
- Synaptic Transmission in Energy Homeostasis Group, Max Planck Institute for Metabolism Research, Gleueler Strasse 50, 50931, Cologne, Germany
- Center for Endocrinology, Diabetes and Preventive Medicine (CEDP), University Hospital Cologne, Kerpener Strasse 26, 50924, Cologne, Germany
| | - Lisa Weiher
- Synaptic Transmission in Energy Homeostasis Group, Max Planck Institute for Metabolism Research, Gleueler Strasse 50, 50931, Cologne, Germany
| | - Lukas Steuernagel
- Department of Neuronal Control of Metabolism, Max Planck Institute for Metabolism Research, Gleueler Strasse 50, 50931, Cologne, Germany
| | - F Thomas Wunderlich
- Department of Neuronal Control of Metabolism, Max Planck Institute for Metabolism Research, Gleueler Strasse 50, 50931, Cologne, Germany
- Center for Endocrinology, Diabetes and Preventive Medicine (CEDP), University Hospital Cologne, Kerpener Strasse 26, 50924, Cologne, Germany
- Excellence Cluster on Cellular Stress Responses in Aging Associated Diseases (CECAD), University of Cologne, Joseph-Stelzmann-Straße 26, Cologne, 50931, Germany
- Center of Molecular Medicine Cologne (CMMC), University of Cologne, Robert-Koch-Straße 21, 50931, Cologne, Germany
| | - Jens C Brüning
- Department of Neuronal Control of Metabolism, Max Planck Institute for Metabolism Research, Gleueler Strasse 50, 50931, Cologne, Germany.
- Center for Endocrinology, Diabetes and Preventive Medicine (CEDP), University Hospital Cologne, Kerpener Strasse 26, 50924, Cologne, Germany.
- Excellence Cluster on Cellular Stress Responses in Aging Associated Diseases (CECAD), University of Cologne, Joseph-Stelzmann-Straße 26, Cologne, 50931, Germany.
- Center of Molecular Medicine Cologne (CMMC), University of Cologne, Robert-Koch-Straße 21, 50931, Cologne, Germany.
| | - Henning Fenselau
- Synaptic Transmission in Energy Homeostasis Group, Max Planck Institute for Metabolism Research, Gleueler Strasse 50, 50931, Cologne, Germany.
- Center for Endocrinology, Diabetes and Preventive Medicine (CEDP), University Hospital Cologne, Kerpener Strasse 26, 50924, Cologne, Germany.
- Excellence Cluster on Cellular Stress Responses in Aging Associated Diseases (CECAD), University of Cologne, Joseph-Stelzmann-Straße 26, Cologne, 50931, Germany.
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5
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Wee RWS, Mishchanchuk K, AlSubaie R, Church TW, Gold MG, MacAskill AF. Internal-state-dependent control of feeding behavior via hippocampal ghrelin signaling. Neuron 2024; 112:288-305.e7. [PMID: 37977151 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuron.2023.10.016] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/05/2022] [Revised: 09/13/2023] [Accepted: 10/12/2023] [Indexed: 11/19/2023]
Abstract
Hunger is an internal state that not only invigorates feeding but also acts as a contextual cue for higher-order control of anticipatory feeding-related behavior. The ventral hippocampus is crucial for differentiating optimal behavior across contexts, but how internal contexts such as hunger influence hippocampal circuitry is unknown. In this study, we investigated the role of the ventral hippocampus during feeding behavior across different states of hunger in mice. We found that activity of a unique subpopulation of neurons that project to the nucleus accumbens (vS-NAc neurons) increased when animals investigated food, and this activity inhibited the transition to begin eating. Increases in the level of the peripheral hunger hormone ghrelin reduced vS-NAc activity during this anticipatory phase of feeding via ghrelin-receptor-dependent increases in postsynaptic inhibition and promoted the initiation of eating. Together, these experiments define a ghrelin-sensitive hippocampal circuit that informs the decision to eat based on internal state.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ryan W S Wee
- Department of Neuroscience, Physiology and Pharmacology, University College London, Gower St., London WC1E 6BT, UK
| | - Karyna Mishchanchuk
- Department of Neuroscience, Physiology and Pharmacology, University College London, Gower St., London WC1E 6BT, UK
| | - Rawan AlSubaie
- Department of Neuroscience, Physiology and Pharmacology, University College London, Gower St., London WC1E 6BT, UK
| | - Timothy W Church
- Department of Neuroscience, Physiology and Pharmacology, University College London, Gower St., London WC1E 6BT, UK
| | - Matthew G Gold
- Department of Neuroscience, Physiology and Pharmacology, University College London, Gower St., London WC1E 6BT, UK
| | - Andrew F MacAskill
- Department of Neuroscience, Physiology and Pharmacology, University College London, Gower St., London WC1E 6BT, UK.
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6
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So WL, Hu J, Jeffs L, Dempsey H, Lockie SH, Zigman JM, Stark R, Reichenbach A, Andrews ZB. Ghrelin signalling in AgRP neurons links metabolic state to the sensory regulation of AgRP neural activity. Mol Metab 2023; 78:101826. [PMID: 37898450 PMCID: PMC10643323 DOI: 10.1016/j.molmet.2023.101826] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/06/2023] [Revised: 10/11/2023] [Accepted: 10/13/2023] [Indexed: 10/30/2023] Open
Abstract
OBJECTIVE The sensory detection of food and food cues suppresses Agouti related peptide (AgRP) neuronal activity prior to consumption with greatest suppression occurring in response to highly caloric food or interoceptive energy need. However, the interoceptive mechanisms priming an appropriate AgRP neural response to external sensory information of food availability remain unexplored. Since hunger increases plasma ghrelin, we hypothesized that ghrelin receptor (GHSR) signalling on AgRP neurons is a key interoceptive mechanism integrating energy need with external sensory cues predicting caloric availability. METHODS We used in vivo photometry to measure the effects of ghrelin administration or fasting on AgRP neural activity with GCaMP6s and dopamine release in the nucleus accumbens with GRAB-DA in mice lacking ghrelin receptors in AgRP neurons. RESULTS The deletion of GHSR on AgRP neurons prevented ghrelin-induced food intake, motivation and AgRP activity. The presentation of food (peanut butter pellet) or a wooden dowel suppressed AgRP activity in fasted WT but not mice lacking GHSRs in AgRP neurons. Similarly, peanut butter and a wooden dowel increased dopamine release in the nucleus accumbens after ip ghrelin injection in WT but not mice lacking GHSRs in AgRP neurons. No difference in dopamine release was observed in fasted mice. Finally, ip ghrelin administration did not directly increase dopamine neural activity in the ventral tegmental area. CONCLUSIONS Our results suggest that AgRP GHSRs integrate an interoceptive state of energy need with external sensory information to produce an optimal change in AgRP neural activity. Thus, ghrelin signalling on AgRP neurons is more than just a feedback signal to increase AgRP activity during hunger.
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Affiliation(s)
- Wang Lok So
- Monash Biomedicine Discovery Institute and Department of Physiology, Monash University, Clayton 3800, Victoria, Australia
| | - Jiachen Hu
- Monash Biomedicine Discovery Institute and Department of Physiology, Monash University, Clayton 3800, Victoria, Australia
| | - Lotus Jeffs
- Monash Biomedicine Discovery Institute and Department of Physiology, Monash University, Clayton 3800, Victoria, Australia
| | - Harry Dempsey
- The Florey Institute of Neuroscience and Mental Health, Mental Health Division, Parkville, Melbourne, Australia
| | - Sarah H Lockie
- Monash Biomedicine Discovery Institute and Department of Physiology, Monash University, Clayton 3800, Victoria, Australia
| | - Jeffrey M Zigman
- Center for Hypothalamic Research, Department of Internal Medicine, UT Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, TX, USA; Division of Endocrinology, Department of Internal Medicine, UT Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, TX, USA; Department of Psychiatry, UT Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, TX, USA
| | - Romana Stark
- Monash Biomedicine Discovery Institute and Department of Physiology, Monash University, Clayton 3800, Victoria, Australia
| | - Alex Reichenbach
- Monash Biomedicine Discovery Institute and Department of Physiology, Monash University, Clayton 3800, Victoria, Australia
| | - Zane B Andrews
- Monash Biomedicine Discovery Institute and Department of Physiology, Monash University, Clayton 3800, Victoria, Australia.
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7
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de Araujo Salgado I, Li C, Burnett CJ, Rodriguez Gonzalez S, Becker JJ, Horvath A, Earnest T, Kravitz AV, Krashes MJ. Toggling between food-seeking and self-preservation behaviors via hypothalamic response networks. Neuron 2023; 111:2899-2917.e6. [PMID: 37442130 PMCID: PMC10528369 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuron.2023.06.006] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/22/2022] [Revised: 05/02/2023] [Accepted: 06/15/2023] [Indexed: 07/15/2023]
Abstract
Motivated behaviors are often studied in isolation to assess labeled lines of neural connections underlying innate actions. However, in nature, multiple systems compete for expression of goal-directed behaviors via complex neural networks. Here, we examined flexible survival decisions in animals tasked with food seeking under predation threat. We found that predator exposure rapidly induced physiological, neuronal, and behavioral adaptations in mice highlighted by reduced food seeking and consumption contingent on current threat level. Diminishing conflict via internal state or external environment perturbations shifted feeding strategies. Predator introduction and/or selective manipulation of danger-responsive cholecystokinin (Cck) cells of the dorsal premammilary nucleus (PMd) suppressed hunger-sensitive Agouti-related peptide (AgRP) neurons, providing a mechanism for threat-evoked hypophagia. Increased caloric need enhanced food seeking under duress through AgRP pathways to the bed nucleus of the stria terminalis (BNST) and/or lateral hypothalamus (LH). Our results suggest oscillating interactions between systems underlying self-preservation and food seeking to promote optimal behavior.
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Affiliation(s)
- Isabel de Araujo Salgado
- Diabetes, Endocrinology, and Obesity Branch, National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD 20892, USA
| | - Chia Li
- Diabetes, Endocrinology, and Obesity Branch, National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD 20892, USA
| | - C Joseph Burnett
- Diabetes, Endocrinology, and Obesity Branch, National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD 20892, USA
| | - Shakira Rodriguez Gonzalez
- Diabetes, Endocrinology, and Obesity Branch, National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD 20892, USA
| | - Jordan J Becker
- Diabetes, Endocrinology, and Obesity Branch, National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD 20892, USA
| | - Allison Horvath
- Diabetes, Endocrinology, and Obesity Branch, National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD 20892, USA
| | - Thomas Earnest
- Department of Psychiatry, Washington University School of Medicine, St Louis, MO 63110, USA
| | - Alexxai V Kravitz
- Department of Psychiatry, Washington University School of Medicine, St Louis, MO 63110, USA
| | - Michael J Krashes
- Diabetes, Endocrinology, and Obesity Branch, National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD 20892, USA; National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA), National Institutes of Health, Baltimore, MD 21224, USA.
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8
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Cho D, O'Berry K, Possa-Paranhos IC, Butts J, Palanikumar N, Sweeney P. Paraventricular Thalamic MC3R Circuits Link Energy Homeostasis with Anxiety-Related Behavior. J Neurosci 2023; 43:6280-6296. [PMID: 37591737 PMCID: PMC10490510 DOI: 10.1523/jneurosci.0704-23.2023] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/19/2023] [Revised: 08/03/2023] [Accepted: 08/08/2023] [Indexed: 08/19/2023] Open
Abstract
The hypothalamic melanocortin system is critically involved in sensing stored energy and communicating this information throughout the brain, including to brain regions controlling motivation and emotion. This system consists of first-order agouti-related peptide (AgRP) and pro-opiomelanocortin (POMC) neurons located in the hypothalamic arcuate nucleus and downstream neurons containing the melanocortin-3 (MC3R) and melanocortin-4 receptor (MC4R). Although extensive work has characterized the function of downstream MC4R neurons, the identity and function of MC3R-containing neurons are poorly understood. Here, we used neuroanatomical and circuit manipulation approaches in mice to identify a novel pathway linking hypothalamic melanocortin neurons to melanocortin-3 receptor neurons located in the paraventricular thalamus (PVT) in male and female mice. MC3R neurons in PVT are innervated by hypothalamic AgRP and POMC neurons and are activated by anorexigenic and aversive stimuli. Consistently, chemogenetic activation of PVT MC3R neurons increases anxiety-related behavior and reduces feeding in hungry mice, whereas inhibition of PVT MC3R neurons reduces anxiety-related behavior. These studies position PVT MC3R neurons as important cellular substrates linking energy status with neural circuitry regulating anxiety-related behavior and represent a promising potential target for diseases at the intersection of metabolism and anxiety-related behavior such as anorexia nervosa.SIGNIFICANCE STATEMENT Animals must constantly adapt their behavior to changing internal and external challenges, and impairments in appropriately responding to these challenges are a hallmark of many neuropsychiatric disorders. Here, we demonstrate that paraventricular thalamic neurons containing the melanocortin-3 receptor respond to energy-state-related information and external challenges to regulate anxiety-related behavior in mice. Thus, these neurons represent a potential target for understanding the neurobiology of disorders at the intersection of metabolism and psychiatry such as anorexia nervosa.
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Affiliation(s)
- Dajin Cho
- Department of Molecular and Integrative Physiology, University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, Illinois 61801
- Neuroscience Program, University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, Illinois 61801
| | - Kyle O'Berry
- Department of Molecular and Integrative Physiology, University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, Illinois 61801
- Neuroscience Program, University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, Illinois 61801
| | - Ingrid Camila Possa-Paranhos
- Department of Molecular and Integrative Physiology, University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, Illinois 61801
| | - Jared Butts
- Department of Molecular and Integrative Physiology, University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, Illinois 61801
- Neuroscience Program, University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, Illinois 61801
| | - Naraen Palanikumar
- Department of Molecular and Integrative Physiology, University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, Illinois 61801
| | - Patrick Sweeney
- Department of Molecular and Integrative Physiology, University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, Illinois 61801
- Neuroscience Program, University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, Illinois 61801
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9
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Sweeney P, Gimenez LE, Hernandez CC, Cone RD. Targeting the central melanocortin system for the treatment of metabolic disorders. Nat Rev Endocrinol 2023; 19:507-519. [PMID: 37365323 DOI: 10.1038/s41574-023-00855-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 11.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 05/18/2023] [Indexed: 06/28/2023]
Abstract
A large body of preclinical and clinical data shows that the central melanocortin system is a promising therapeutic target for treating various metabolic disorders such as obesity and cachexia, as well as anorexia nervosa. Setmelanotide, which functions by engaging the central melanocortin circuitry, was approved by the FDA in 2020 for use in certain forms of syndromic obesity. Furthermore, the FDA approvals in 2019 of two peptide drugs targeting melanocortin receptors for the treatment of generalized hypoactive sexual desire disorder (bremelanotide) and erythropoietic protoporphyria-associated phototoxicity (afamelanotide) demonstrate the safety of this class of peptides. These approvals have also renewed excitement in the development of therapeutics targeting the melanocortin system. Here, we review the anatomy and function of the melanocortin system, discuss progress and challenges in developing melanocortin receptor-based therapeutics, and outline potential metabolic and behavioural disorders that could be addressed using pharmacological agents targeting these receptors.
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Affiliation(s)
- Patrick Sweeney
- School of Molecular and Cellular Biology, College of Liberal Arts and Sciences, University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, Champaign, IL, USA
| | - Luis E Gimenez
- Life Sciences Institute, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, USA
| | | | - Roger D Cone
- Life Sciences Institute, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, USA.
- Department of Molecular and Integrative Physiology, School of Medicine, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, USA.
- Department of Molecular, Cellular, and Developmental Biology, College of Literature Science and the Arts, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, USA.
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10
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Lam RM, von Buchholtz LJ, Falgairolle M, Osborne J, Frangos E, Rocio Servin-Vences M, Nagel M, Nguyen MQ, Jayabalan M, Saade D, Patapoutian A, Bönnemann CG, Ryba NJP, Chesler AT. PIEZO2 and perineal mechanosensation are essential for sexual function. Science 2023; 381:906-910. [PMID: 37616369 PMCID: PMC11418610 DOI: 10.1126/science.adg0144] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/27/2022] [Accepted: 07/13/2023] [Indexed: 08/26/2023]
Abstract
Despite the potential importance of genital mechanosensation for sexual reproduction, little is known about how perineal touch influences mating. We explored how mechanosensation affords exquisite awareness of the genitals and controls reproduction in mice and humans. Using genetic strategies and in vivo functional imaging, we demonstrated that the mechanosensitive ion channel PIEZO2 (piezo-type mechanosensitive ion channel component 2) is necessary for behavioral sensitivity to perineal touch. PIEZO2 function is needed for triggering a touch-evoked erection reflex and successful mating in both male and female mice. Humans with complete loss of PIEZO2 function have genital hyposensitivity and experience no direct pleasure from gentle touch or vibration. Together, our results help explain how perineal mechanoreceptors detect the gentlest of stimuli and trigger physiologically important sexual responses, thus providing a platform for exploring the sensory basis of sexual pleasure and its relationship to affective touch.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ruby M. Lam
- National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health (NCCIH), Bethesda, MD 20892, USA
- Brown-National Institutes of Health Graduate Partnerships Program, Brown University, Providence, RI 02912, USA
| | | | - Melanie Falgairolle
- National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health (NCCIH), Bethesda, MD 20892, USA
| | - Jennifer Osborne
- National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health (NCCIH), Bethesda, MD 20892, USA
| | - Eleni Frangos
- National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health (NCCIH), Bethesda, MD 20892, USA
| | - M. Rocio Servin-Vences
- Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Department of Neuroscience, Dorris Neuroscience Center, The Scripps Research Institute, La Jolla, CA 92037, USA
| | - Maximilian Nagel
- National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health (NCCIH), Bethesda, MD 20892, USA
| | - Minh Q. Nguyen
- National Institute of Dental and Craniofacial Research, Bethesda, MD 20892, USA
| | - Monessha Jayabalan
- National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health (NCCIH), Bethesda, MD 20892, USA
| | - Dimah Saade
- National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke, Bethesda, MD 20892, USA
| | - Ardem Patapoutian
- Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Department of Neuroscience, Dorris Neuroscience Center, The Scripps Research Institute, La Jolla, CA 92037, USA
| | - Carsten G. Bönnemann
- National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke, Bethesda, MD 20892, USA
| | - Nicholas J. P. Ryba
- National Institute of Dental and Craniofacial Research, Bethesda, MD 20892, USA
| | - Alexander T. Chesler
- National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health (NCCIH), Bethesda, MD 20892, USA
- National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke, Bethesda, MD 20892, USA
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11
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Kucukdereli H, Amsalem O, Pottala T, Lim M, Potgieter L, Hasbrouck A, Lutas A, Andermann ML. Chronic stress triggers seeking of a starvation-like state in anxiety-prone female mice. BIORXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR BIOLOGY 2023:2023.05.16.541013. [PMID: 37292650 PMCID: PMC10245771 DOI: 10.1101/2023.05.16.541013] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/10/2023]
Abstract
Elevated anxiety often precedes anorexia nervosa and persists after weight restoration. Patients with anorexia nervosa often describe hunger as pleasant, potentially because food restriction can be anxiolytic. Here, we tested whether chronic stress can cause animals to prefer a starvation-like state. We developed a virtual reality place preference paradigm in which head-fixed mice can voluntarily seek a starvation-like state induced by optogenetic stimulation of hypothalamic agouti-related peptide (AgRP) neurons. Prior to stress induction, male but not female mice showed mild aversion to AgRP stimulation. Strikingly, following chronic stress, a subset of females developed a strong preference for AgRP stimulation that was predicted by high baseline anxiety. Such stress-induced changes in preference were reflected in changes in facial expressions during AgRP stimulation. Our study suggests that stress may cause females predisposed to anxiety to seek a starvation state, and provides a powerful experimental framework for investigating the underlying neural mechanisms.
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12
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Xu Y, Jiang Z, Li H, Cai J, Jiang Y, Otiz-Guzman J, Xu Y, Arenkiel BR, Tong Q. Lateral septum as a melanocortin downstream site in obesity development. Cell Rep 2023; 42:112502. [PMID: 37171957 DOI: 10.1016/j.celrep.2023.112502] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/08/2022] [Revised: 03/27/2023] [Accepted: 04/26/2023] [Indexed: 05/14/2023] Open
Abstract
The melanocortin pathway is well established to be critical for body-weight regulation in both rodents and humans. Despite extensive studies focusing on this pathway, the downstream brain sites that mediate its action are not clear. Here, we found that, among the known paraventricular hypothalamic (PVH) neuron groups, those expressing melanocortin receptors 4 (PVHMc4R) preferably project to the ventral part of the lateral septum (LSv), a brain region known to be involved in emotional behaviors. Photostimulation of PVHMc4R neuron terminals in the LSv reduces feeding and causes aversion, whereas deletion of Mc4Rs or disruption of glutamate release from LSv-projecting PVH neurons causes obesity. In addition, disruption of AMPA receptor function in PVH-projected LSv neurons causes obesity. Importantly, chronic inhibition of PVH- or PVHMc4R-projected LSv neurons causes obesity associated with reduced energy expenditure. Thus, the LSv functions as an important node in mediating melanocortin action on body-weight regulation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yuanzhong Xu
- Brown Foundation of Molecular Medicine for the Prevention of Human Diseases of McGovern Medical School, University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston, Houston, TX 77030, USA.
| | - Zhiying Jiang
- Brown Foundation of Molecular Medicine for the Prevention of Human Diseases of McGovern Medical School, University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston, Houston, TX 77030, USA
| | - Hongli Li
- Brown Foundation of Molecular Medicine for the Prevention of Human Diseases of McGovern Medical School, University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston, Houston, TX 77030, USA
| | - Jing Cai
- Brown Foundation of Molecular Medicine for the Prevention of Human Diseases of McGovern Medical School, University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston, Houston, TX 77030, USA; MD Anderson Cancer Center & UTHealth Houston Graduate School for Biomedical Sciences, University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston, Houston, TX 77030, USA
| | - Yanyan Jiang
- Brown Foundation of Molecular Medicine for the Prevention of Human Diseases of McGovern Medical School, University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston, Houston, TX 77030, USA
| | - Joshua Otiz-Guzman
- Department of Molecular and Human Genetics and Department of Neuroscience, Baylor College of Medicine, and Jan and Dan Duncan Neurological Research Institute, Texas Children's Hospital, Houston, TX, USA
| | - Yong Xu
- Children's Nutrition Research Center, Department of Pediatrics, Baylor College of Medicine, One Baylor Plaza, Houston, TX 77030, USA
| | - Benjamin R Arenkiel
- Department of Molecular and Human Genetics and Department of Neuroscience, Baylor College of Medicine, and Jan and Dan Duncan Neurological Research Institute, Texas Children's Hospital, Houston, TX, USA
| | - Qingchun Tong
- Brown Foundation of Molecular Medicine for the Prevention of Human Diseases of McGovern Medical School, University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston, Houston, TX 77030, USA; MD Anderson Cancer Center & UTHealth Houston Graduate School for Biomedical Sciences, University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston, Houston, TX 77030, USA; Department of Neurobiology and Anatomy of McGovern Medical School, University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston, Houston, TX 77030, USA.
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13
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Pozo M, Milà-Guasch M, Haddad-Tóvolli R, Boudjadja M, Chivite I, Toledo M, Gómez-Valadés A, Eyre E, Ramírez S, Obri A, Ben-Ami Bartal I, D'Agostino G, Costa-Font J, Claret M. Negative energy balance hinders prosocial helping behavior. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 2023; 120:e2218142120. [PMID: 37023123 PMCID: PMC10104524 DOI: 10.1073/pnas.2218142120] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/27/2022] [Accepted: 02/02/2023] [Indexed: 04/07/2023] Open
Abstract
The internal state of an animal, including homeostatic requirements, modulates its behavior. Negative energy balance stimulates hunger, thus promoting a range of actions aimed at obtaining food. While these survival actions are well established, the influence of the energy status on prosocial behavior remains unexplored. We developed a paradigm to assess helping behavior in which a free mouse was faced with a conspecific trapped in a restrainer. We measured the willingness of the free mouse to liberate the confined mouse under diverse metabolic conditions. Around 42% of ad libitum-fed mice exhibited a helping behavior, as evidenced by the reduction in the latencies to release the trapped cagemate. This behavior was independent of subsequent social contact reward and was associated with changes in corticosterone indicative of emotional contagion. This decision-making process was coupled with reduced blood glucose excursions and higher Adenosine triphosphate (ATP):Adenosine diphosphate (ADP) ratios in the forebrain of helper mice, suggesting that it was a highly energy-demanding process. Interestingly, chronic (food restriction and type 2 diabetes) and acute (chemogenetic activation of hunger-promoting AgRP neurons) situations mimicking organismal negative energy balance and enhanced appetite attenuated helping behavior toward a distressed conspecific. To investigate similar effects in humans, we estimated the influence of glycated hemoglobin (a surrogate of long-term glycemic control) on prosocial behavior (namely charity donation) using the Understanding Society dataset. Our results evidenced that organismal energy status markedly influences helping behavior and that hypothalamic AgRP neurons are at the interface of metabolism and prosocial behavior.
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Affiliation(s)
- Macarena Pozo
- Neuronal Control of Metabolism Laboratory, Institut d’Investigacions Biomèdiques August Pi i Sunyer (IDIBAPS), 08036Barcelona, Spain
| | - Maria Milà-Guasch
- Neuronal Control of Metabolism Laboratory, Institut d’Investigacions Biomèdiques August Pi i Sunyer (IDIBAPS), 08036Barcelona, Spain
| | - Roberta Haddad-Tóvolli
- Neuronal Control of Metabolism Laboratory, Institut d’Investigacions Biomèdiques August Pi i Sunyer (IDIBAPS), 08036Barcelona, Spain
| | - Mehdi Boutagouga Boudjadja
- Faculty of Biology, Medicine and Health, School of Medical Sciences, University of Manchester, M13 9PTManchester, United Kingdom
| | - Iñigo Chivite
- Neuronal Control of Metabolism Laboratory, Institut d’Investigacions Biomèdiques August Pi i Sunyer (IDIBAPS), 08036Barcelona, Spain
| | - Miriam Toledo
- Neuronal Control of Metabolism Laboratory, Institut d’Investigacions Biomèdiques August Pi i Sunyer (IDIBAPS), 08036Barcelona, Spain
| | - Alicia G. Gómez-Valadés
- Neuronal Control of Metabolism Laboratory, Institut d’Investigacions Biomèdiques August Pi i Sunyer (IDIBAPS), 08036Barcelona, Spain
| | - Elena Eyre
- Neuronal Control of Metabolism Laboratory, Institut d’Investigacions Biomèdiques August Pi i Sunyer (IDIBAPS), 08036Barcelona, Spain
| | - Sara Ramírez
- Neuronal Control of Metabolism Laboratory, Institut d’Investigacions Biomèdiques August Pi i Sunyer (IDIBAPS), 08036Barcelona, Spain
| | - Arnaud Obri
- Neuronal Control of Metabolism Laboratory, Institut d’Investigacions Biomèdiques August Pi i Sunyer (IDIBAPS), 08036Barcelona, Spain
| | - Inbal Ben-Ami Bartal
- School of Psychological Sciences, Tel-Aviv University, 6997801Tel Aviv, Israel
- Sagol School of Neuroscience, Tel-Aviv University, 6997801Tel Aviv, Israel
| | - Giuseppe D'Agostino
- Faculty of Biology, Medicine and Health, School of Medical Sciences, University of Manchester, M13 9PTManchester, United Kingdom
| | - Joan Costa-Font
- Department of Health Policy, London School of Economics and Political Science, WC2A 2AELondon, United Kingdom
| | - Marc Claret
- Neuronal Control of Metabolism Laboratory, Institut d’Investigacions Biomèdiques August Pi i Sunyer (IDIBAPS), 08036Barcelona, Spain
- Centro de Investigación Biomédica en Red de Diabetes y Enfermedades Metabólicas Asociadas (CIBERDEM), Instituto de Salud Carlos III, Spain
- School of Medicine, Universitat de Barcelona, 08036Barcelona, Spain
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14
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Sutton Hickey AK, Duane SC, Mickelsen LE, Karolczak EO, Shamma AM, Skillings A, Li C, Krashes MJ. AgRP neurons coordinate the mitigation of activity-based anorexia. Mol Psychiatry 2023; 28:1622-1635. [PMID: 36577844 PMCID: PMC10782560 DOI: 10.1038/s41380-022-01932-w] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/08/2022] [Revised: 12/13/2022] [Accepted: 12/14/2022] [Indexed: 12/29/2022]
Abstract
Anorexia nervosa (AN) is a debilitating and deadly disease characterized by low body mass index due to diminished food intake, and oftentimes concurrent hyperactivity. A high percentage of AN behavioral and metabolic phenotypes can be replicated in rodents given access to a voluntary running wheel and subject to food restriction, termed activity-based anorexia (ABA). Despite the well-documented bodyweight loss observed in AN human patients and ABA rodents, much less is understood regarding the neurobiological underpinnings of these maladaptive behaviors. Hunger-promoting hypothalamic agouti-related peptide (AgRP) neurons have been well characterized in their ability to regulate appetite, yet much less is known regarding their activity and function in the mediation of food intake during ABA. Here, feeding microstructure analysis revealed ABA mice decreased food intake due to increased interpellet interval retrieval and diminished meal number. Longitudinal activity recordings of AgRP neurons in ABA animals exhibited a maladaptive inhibitory response to food, independent of basal activity changes. We then demonstrated that ABA development or progression can be mitigated by chemogenetic AgRP activation through the reprioritization of food intake (increased meal number) over hyperactivity, but only during periods of food availability. These results elucidate a potential neural target for the amelioration of behavioral maladaptations present in AN patients.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ames K Sutton Hickey
- Diabetes, Endocrinology, and Obesity Branch, National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases (NIDDK), National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD, USA.
| | - Sean C Duane
- Diabetes, Endocrinology, and Obesity Branch, National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases (NIDDK), National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD, USA
| | - Laura E Mickelsen
- Diabetes, Endocrinology, and Obesity Branch, National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases (NIDDK), National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD, USA
| | - Eva O Karolczak
- Diabetes, Endocrinology, and Obesity Branch, National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases (NIDDK), National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD, USA
| | - Ahmed M Shamma
- Diabetes, Endocrinology, and Obesity Branch, National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases (NIDDK), National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD, USA
| | - Anna Skillings
- Diabetes, Endocrinology, and Obesity Branch, National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases (NIDDK), National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD, USA
| | - Chia Li
- Diabetes, Endocrinology, and Obesity Branch, National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases (NIDDK), National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD, USA
| | - Michael J Krashes
- Diabetes, Endocrinology, and Obesity Branch, National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases (NIDDK), National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD, USA.
- National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA), National Institutes of Health, Baltimore, MD, USA.
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15
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Petzold A, van den Munkhof HE, Figge-Schlensok R, Korotkova T. Complementary lateral hypothalamic populations resist hunger pressure to balance nutritional and social needs. Cell Metab 2023; 35:456-471.e6. [PMID: 36827985 PMCID: PMC10028225 DOI: 10.1016/j.cmet.2023.02.008] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 13.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/15/2021] [Revised: 05/03/2022] [Accepted: 02/08/2023] [Indexed: 02/25/2023]
Abstract
Animals continuously weigh hunger and thirst against competing needs, such as social contact and mating, according to state and opportunity. Yet neuronal mechanisms of sensing and ranking nutritional needs remain poorly understood. Here, combining calcium imaging in freely behaving mice, optogenetics, and chemogenetics, we show that two neuronal populations of the lateral hypothalamus (LH) guide increasingly hungry animals through behavioral choices between nutritional and social rewards. While increased food consumption was marked by increasing inhibition of a leptin receptor-expressing (LepRLH) subpopulation at a fast timescale, LepRLH neurons limited feeding or drinking and promoted social interaction despite hunger or thirst. Conversely, neurotensin-expressing LH neurons preferentially encoded water despite hunger pressure and promoted water seeking, while relegating social needs. Thus, hunger and thirst gate both LH populations in a complementary manner to enable the flexible fulfillment of multiple essential needs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Anne Petzold
- Institute for Systems Physiology, Faculty of Medicine, University of Cologne and University Clinic Cologne, Cologne 50931, Germany; Max Planck Institute for Metabolism Research, Cologne 50931, Germany
| | - Hanna Elin van den Munkhof
- Institute for Systems Physiology, Faculty of Medicine, University of Cologne and University Clinic Cologne, Cologne 50931, Germany; Max Planck Institute for Metabolism Research, Cologne 50931, Germany
| | - Rebecca Figge-Schlensok
- Institute for Systems Physiology, Faculty of Medicine, University of Cologne and University Clinic Cologne, Cologne 50931, Germany; Max Planck Institute for Metabolism Research, Cologne 50931, Germany
| | - Tatiana Korotkova
- Institute for Systems Physiology, Faculty of Medicine, University of Cologne and University Clinic Cologne, Cologne 50931, Germany; Max Planck Institute for Metabolism Research, Cologne 50931, Germany; Excellence Cluster on Cellular Stress Responses in Aging Associated Diseases (CECAD) and Center of Molecular Medicine Cologne (CMMC), University of Cologne, Cologne 50931, Germany.
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16
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Alkahwaji AM, Shin HS, Lee CJ. Negative Influence of the Hunger State on Rule-observance Behavior in Mice. Exp Neurobiol 2023; 32:31-41. [PMID: 36919334 PMCID: PMC10017842 DOI: 10.5607/en22036] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/11/2022] [Revised: 02/28/2023] [Accepted: 02/28/2023] [Indexed: 03/16/2023] Open
Abstract
Developing social strategies to share limited resources equally and maximize the long-term benefits of conflict resolution is critical for appropriate social interactions. During social interactions, social decision-making depends not only on the external environment, but also on internal factors, such as hunger, thirst, or fatigue. In particular, hunger, which is related to food as a physical need, plays a dominant role in social decision-making. However, the consequences of food deprivation on social decision-making are not well understood. We have previously shown that mice with rule-observance behavior are capable of resolving conflict during social decision-making by observing a well-established social strategy based on reward zone allocation. Here, we developed a rule-observance behavior paradigm wherein the hunger state is achieved by applying food restrictions on mice prior to social behavior experiments. We found that the hunger state in mice deteriorated the established social strategy by decreasing reaction time, implying an increase in impulsivity. In contrast, the hunger state did not affect reward zone allocation, indicating no effect on spatial memory. This decrease in reaction time led to a significant increase in the percentage of violations during rule observance and a significant decrease in the amount of reward (payoff equity). Our study proposes that the hunger state exerts a detrimental effect on appropriate social decision-making by decreasing reaction time, increasing violation, and decreasing payoff equity in rule-observance behavior.
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Affiliation(s)
- Abdelrahman M Alkahwaji
- Center for Cognition and Sociality, Institute for Basic Science (IBS), Daejeon 34141, Korea.,IBS School, University of Science and Technology, Daejeon 34141, Korea
| | - Hee-Sup Shin
- Center for Cognition and Sociality, Institute for Basic Science (IBS), Daejeon 34141, Korea.,IBS School, University of Science and Technology, Daejeon 34141, Korea
| | - C Justin Lee
- Center for Cognition and Sociality, Institute for Basic Science (IBS), Daejeon 34141, Korea.,IBS School, University of Science and Technology, Daejeon 34141, Korea
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17
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Leuba AL, Meyer AH, Kakebeeke TH, Stülb K, Arhab A, Zysset AE, Leeger-Aschmann CS, Schmutz EA, Kriemler S, Jenni OG, Puder JJ, Munsch S, Messerli-Bürgy N. The relationship of parenting style and eating behavior in preschool children. BMC Psychol 2022; 10:275. [PMID: 36419113 PMCID: PMC9682652 DOI: 10.1186/s40359-022-00981-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/20/2022] [Accepted: 11/10/2022] [Indexed: 11/25/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Eating behavior represents individual appetitive traits which are related to the individual's regulation of food intake. Eating behavior develops at an early age. There is some evidence that parenting styles might impact on the child's eating behavior. The aim of this study was to investigate the relationship of different dimensions of positive and negative parenting styles with the child's eating behavior at a critical age period of the child's early development. METHODS Parents of 511 preschool children (aged 2-6 years) completed the Children Eating Behavior Questionnaire and the Alabama Parenting Questionnaire. RESULTS Analyses revealed that different dimensions of negative parenting styles were associated with eating behavior of the child. In details, inconsistent parenting showed a consistent association with eating behavior of a child (i.e. higher emotional eating, higher food responsiveness, higher food fussiness, higher satiety responsiveness and more enjoyment of food), whereas corporal punishment was associated with more emotional overeating and more food responsiveness but less satiety responsiveness. Further, powerful implementation was related to higher food responsiveness and less enjoyment of food and low monitoring was associated with higher emotional overeating and more slowness in eating. There was no such consistent association of positive parenting and eating behavior. CONCLUSIONS More negative parenting styles were associated with eating behavior which is more often related to potential weight problems in a long term, whereas positive parenting did not show such a consistent relationship with eating behavior. Negative parenting should be in the focus of prevention and treatment of eating behavior problems in young children. TRIAL REGISTRATION ISRCTN41045021 (06/05/2014).
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Affiliation(s)
- Anaëlle L. Leuba
- Department of Psychology, University of Fribourg, Rue P.A. de Faucigny 2, 1700 Fribourg, Switzerland
- Institute of Psychology, FADO, University of Lausanne, Géopolis, 1015 Lausanne, Switzerland
| | - Andrea H. Meyer
- Department of Clinical Psychology and Psychotherapy, University of Fribourg, Rue P.A. de Faucigny 2, 1700 Fribourg, Switzerland
- Department for Psychology, University of Basel, Missionsstrasse 62A, 4055 Basel, Switzerland
| | - Tanja H. Kakebeeke
- Child Development Center, University Children’s Hospital Zurich, Steinwiesstrasse 75, 8032 Zurich, Switzerland
- Children’s Research Center, University Children’s Hospital Zurich, Steinwiesstrasse 75, 8032 Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Kerstin Stülb
- Department of Clinical Psychology and Psychotherapy, University of Fribourg, Rue P.A. de Faucigny 2, 1700 Fribourg, Switzerland
| | - Amar Arhab
- Obstetric Service, Department Women-Mother-Child, Lausanne University Hospital, Lausanne, Switzerland
| | - Annina E. Zysset
- Child Development Center, University Children’s Hospital Zurich, Steinwiesstrasse 75, 8032 Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Claudia S. Leeger-Aschmann
- Epidemiology, Biostatistics and Prevention Institute, University of Zurich, Hirschengraben 84, 8001 Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Einat A. Schmutz
- Epidemiology, Biostatistics and Prevention Institute, University of Zurich, Hirschengraben 84, 8001 Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Susi Kriemler
- Epidemiology, Biostatistics and Prevention Institute, University of Zurich, Hirschengraben 84, 8001 Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Oskar G. Jenni
- Child Development Center, University Children’s Hospital Zurich, Steinwiesstrasse 75, 8032 Zurich, Switzerland
- Children’s Research Center, University Children’s Hospital Zurich, Steinwiesstrasse 75, 8032 Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Jardena J. Puder
- Obstetric Service, Department Women-Mother-Child, Lausanne University Hospital, Lausanne, Switzerland
| | - Simone Munsch
- Department of Clinical Psychology and Psychotherapy, University of Fribourg, Rue P.A. de Faucigny 2, 1700 Fribourg, Switzerland
| | - Nadine Messerli-Bürgy
- Department of Psychology, University of Fribourg, Rue P.A. de Faucigny 2, 1700 Fribourg, Switzerland
- Institute of Psychology, FADO, University of Lausanne, Géopolis, 1015 Lausanne, Switzerland
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18
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Karigo T, Deutsch D. Flexibility of neural circuits regulating mating behaviors in mice and flies. Front Neural Circuits 2022; 16:949781. [PMID: 36426135 PMCID: PMC9679785 DOI: 10.3389/fncir.2022.949781] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/21/2022] [Accepted: 07/28/2022] [Indexed: 11/11/2022] Open
Abstract
Mating is essential for the reproduction of animal species. As mating behaviors are high-risk and energy-consuming processes, it is critical for animals to make adaptive mating decisions. This includes not only finding a suitable mate, but also adapting mating behaviors to the animal's needs and environmental conditions. Internal needs include physical states (e.g., hunger) and emotional states (e.g., fear), while external conditions include both social cues (e.g., the existence of predators or rivals) and non-social factors (e.g., food availability). With recent advances in behavioral neuroscience, we are now beginning to understand the neural basis of mating behaviors, particularly in genetic model organisms such as mice and flies. However, how internal and external factors are integrated by the nervous system to enable adaptive mating-related decision-making in a state- and context-dependent manner is less well understood. In this article, we review recent knowledge regarding the neural basis of flexible mating behaviors from studies of flies and mice. By contrasting the knowledge derived from these two evolutionarily distant model organisms, we discuss potential conserved and divergent neural mechanisms involved in the control of flexible mating behaviors in invertebrate and vertebrate brains.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tomomi Karigo
- Kennedy Krieger Institute, Baltimore, MD, United States,The Solomon H. Snyder Department of Neuroscience, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, United States,*Correspondence: Tomomi Karigo,
| | - David Deutsch
- Sagol Department of Neurobiology, Faculty of Natural Sciences, University of Haifa, Haifa, Israel,David Deutsch,
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19
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Abstract
The nucleus accumbens (NAc) is a canonical reward center that regulates feeding and drinking but it is not known whether these behaviors are mediated by same or different neurons. We employed two-photon calcium imaging in awake, behaving mice and found that during the appetitive phase, both hunger and thirst are sensed by a nearly identical population of individual D1 and D2 neurons in the NAc that respond monophasically to food cues in fasted animals and water cues in dehydrated animals. During the consummatory phase, we identified three distinct neuronal clusters that are temporally correlated with action initiation, consumption, and cessation shared by feeding and drinking. These dynamic clusters also show a nearly complete overlap of individual D1 neurons and extensive overlap among D2 neurons. Modulating D1 and D2 neural activities revealed analogous effects on feeding versus drinking behaviors. In aggregate, these data show that a highly overlapping set of D1 and D2 neurons in NAc detect food and water reward and elicit concordant responses to hunger and thirst. These studies establish a general role of this mesolimbic pathway in mediating instinctive behaviors by controlling motivation-associated variables rather than conferring behavioral specificity.
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20
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Flavell SW, Gogolla N, Lovett-Barron M, Zelikowsky M. The emergence and influence of internal states. Neuron 2022; 110:2545-2570. [PMID: 35643077 PMCID: PMC9391310 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuron.2022.04.030] [Citation(s) in RCA: 56] [Impact Index Per Article: 28.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/01/2021] [Revised: 02/11/2022] [Accepted: 04/27/2022] [Indexed: 01/09/2023]
Abstract
Animal behavior is shaped by a variety of "internal states"-partially hidden variables that profoundly shape perception, cognition, and action. The neural basis of internal states, such as fear, arousal, hunger, motivation, aggression, and many others, is a prominent focus of research efforts across animal phyla. Internal states can be inferred from changes in behavior, physiology, and neural dynamics and are characterized by properties such as pleiotropy, persistence, scalability, generalizability, and valence. To date, it remains unclear how internal states and their properties are generated by nervous systems. Here, we review recent progress, which has been driven by advances in behavioral quantification, cellular manipulations, and neural population recordings. We synthesize research implicating defined subsets of state-inducing cell types, widespread changes in neural activity, and neuromodulation in the formation and updating of internal states. In addition to highlighting the significance of these findings, our review advocates for new approaches to clarify the underpinnings of internal brain states across the animal kingdom.
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Affiliation(s)
- Steven W Flavell
- Picower Institute for Learning and Memory, Department of Brain and Cognitive Science, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA 02139, USA.
| | - Nadine Gogolla
- Emotion Research Department, Max Planck Institute of Psychiatry, 80804 Munich, Germany; Circuits for Emotion Research Group, Max Planck Institute of Neurobiology, 82152 Martinsried, Germany.
| | - Matthew Lovett-Barron
- Division of Biological Sciences-Neurobiology Section, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, CA 92093, USA.
| | - Moriel Zelikowsky
- Department of Neurobiology, University of Utah, Salt Lake City, UT 84112, USA.
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21
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Alcantara IC, Tapia APM, Aponte Y, Krashes MJ. Acts of appetite: neural circuits governing the appetitive, consummatory, and terminating phases of feeding. Nat Metab 2022; 4:836-847. [PMID: 35879462 PMCID: PMC10852214 DOI: 10.1038/s42255-022-00611-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 34] [Impact Index Per Article: 17.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/16/2021] [Accepted: 06/16/2022] [Indexed: 12/11/2022]
Abstract
The overconsumption of highly caloric and palatable foods has caused a surge in obesity rates in the past half century, thereby posing a healthcare challenge due to the array of comorbidities linked to heightened body fat accrual. Developing treatments to manage body weight requires a grasp of the neurobiological basis of appetite. In this Review, we discuss advances in neuroscience that have identified brain regions and neural circuits that coordinate distinct phases of eating: food procurement, food consumption, and meal termination. While pioneering work identified several hypothalamic nuclei to be involved in feeding, more recent studies have explored how neuronal populations beyond the hypothalamus, such as the mesolimbic pathway and nodes in the hindbrain, interconnect to modulate appetite. We also examine how long-term exposure to a calorically dense diet rewires feeding circuits and alters the response of motivational systems to food. Understanding how the nervous system regulates eating behaviour will bolster the development of medical strategies that will help individuals to maintain a healthy body weight.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ivan C Alcantara
- Diabetes, Endocrinology, and Obesity Branch, National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases (NIDDK), National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD, USA
- Department of Neuroscience, Brown University, Providence, RI, USA
| | | | - Yeka Aponte
- National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA), National Institutes of Health, Baltimore, MD, USA.
- The Solomon H. Snyder Department of Neuroscience, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, USA.
| | - Michael J Krashes
- Diabetes, Endocrinology, and Obesity Branch, National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases (NIDDK), National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD, USA.
- National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA), National Institutes of Health, Baltimore, MD, USA.
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22
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Watts AG, Kanoski SE, Sanchez-Watts G, Langhans W. The physiological control of eating: signals, neurons, and networks. Physiol Rev 2022; 102:689-813. [PMID: 34486393 PMCID: PMC8759974 DOI: 10.1152/physrev.00028.2020] [Citation(s) in RCA: 54] [Impact Index Per Article: 27.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/06/2020] [Accepted: 08/30/2021] [Indexed: 02/07/2023] Open
Abstract
During the past 30 yr, investigating the physiology of eating behaviors has generated a truly vast literature. This is fueled in part by a dramatic increase in obesity and its comorbidities that has coincided with an ever increasing sophistication of genetically based manipulations. These techniques have produced results with a remarkable degree of cell specificity, particularly at the cell signaling level, and have played a lead role in advancing the field. However, putting these findings into a brain-wide context that connects physiological signals and neurons to behavior and somatic physiology requires a thorough consideration of neuronal connections: a field that has also seen an extraordinary technological revolution. Our goal is to present a comprehensive and balanced assessment of how physiological signals associated with energy homeostasis interact at many brain levels to control eating behaviors. A major theme is that these signals engage sets of interacting neural networks throughout the brain that are defined by specific neural connections. We begin by discussing some fundamental concepts, including ones that still engender vigorous debate, that provide the necessary frameworks for understanding how the brain controls meal initiation and termination. These include key word definitions, ATP availability as the pivotal regulated variable in energy homeostasis, neuropeptide signaling, homeostatic and hedonic eating, and meal structure. Within this context, we discuss network models of how key regions in the endbrain (or telencephalon), hypothalamus, hindbrain, medulla, vagus nerve, and spinal cord work together with the gastrointestinal tract to enable the complex motor events that permit animals to eat in diverse situations.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alan G Watts
- The Department of Biological Sciences, Dornsife College of Letters, Arts and Sciences, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, California
| | - Scott E Kanoski
- The Department of Biological Sciences, Dornsife College of Letters, Arts and Sciences, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, California
| | - Graciela Sanchez-Watts
- The Department of Biological Sciences, Dornsife College of Letters, Arts and Sciences, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, California
| | - Wolfgang Langhans
- Physiology and Behavior Laboratory, Eidgenössische Technische Hochschule-Zürich, Schwerzenbach, Switzerland
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23
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Dickinson SY, Kelly DA, Padilla SL, Bergan JF. From Reductionism Toward Integration: Understanding How Social Behavior Emerges From Integrated Circuits. Front Integr Neurosci 2022; 16:862437. [PMID: 35431824 PMCID: PMC9010670 DOI: 10.3389/fnint.2022.862437] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/25/2022] [Accepted: 03/07/2022] [Indexed: 12/14/2022] Open
Abstract
Complex social behaviors are emergent properties of the brain's interconnected and overlapping neural networks. Questions aimed at understanding how brain circuits produce specific and appropriate behaviors have changed over the past half century, shifting from studies of gross anatomical and behavioral associations, to manipulating and monitoring precisely targeted cell types. This technical progression has enabled increasingly deep insights into the regulation of perception and behavior with remarkable precision. The capacity of reductionist approaches to identify the function of isolated circuits is undeniable but many behaviors require rapid integration of diverse inputs. This review examines progress toward understanding integrative social circuits and focuses on specific nodes of the social behavior network including the medial amygdala, ventromedial hypothalamus (VMH) and medial preoptic area of the hypothalamus (MPOA) as examples of broad integration between multiple interwoven brain circuits. Our understanding of mechanisms for producing social behavior has deepened in conjunction with advances in technologies for visualizing and manipulating specific neurons and, here, we consider emerging strategies to address brain circuit function in the context of integrative anatomy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sarah Y. Dickinson
- Neuroscience and Behavior Program, University of Massachusetts Amherst, Amherst, MA, United States
| | - Diane A. Kelly
- Neuroscience and Behavior Program, University of Massachusetts Amherst, Amherst, MA, United States
- Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences, University of Massachusetts Amherst, Amherst, MA, United States
| | - Stephanie L. Padilla
- Neuroscience and Behavior Program, University of Massachusetts Amherst, Amherst, MA, United States
- Department of Biology, University of Massachusetts Amherst, Amherst, MA, United States
| | - Joseph F. Bergan
- Neuroscience and Behavior Program, University of Massachusetts Amherst, Amherst, MA, United States
- Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences, University of Massachusetts Amherst, Amherst, MA, United States
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24
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Besnard A, Leroy F. Top-down regulation of motivated behaviors via lateral septum sub-circuits. Mol Psychiatry 2022; 27:3119-3128. [PMID: 35581296 PMCID: PMC7613864 DOI: 10.1038/s41380-022-01599-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 25] [Impact Index Per Article: 12.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/26/2021] [Revised: 04/18/2022] [Accepted: 04/26/2022] [Indexed: 12/14/2022]
Abstract
How does cognition regulate innate behaviors? While the cognitive functions of the cortex have been extensively studied, we know much less about how cognition can regulate innate motivated behaviors to fulfill physiological, safety and social needs. Selection of appropriate motivated behaviors depends on external stimuli and past experiences that helps to scale priorities. With its abundant inputs from neocortical and allocortical regions, the lateral septum (LS) is ideally positioned to integrate perception and experience signals in order to regulate the activity of hypothalamic and midbrain nuclei that control motivated behaviors. In addition, LS receives numerous subcortical modulatory inputs, which represent the animal internal states and also participate in this regulation. In this perspective, we argue that LS sub-circuits regulate distinct motivated behaviors by integrating neural activity from neocortical, allocortical and neuromodulatory inputs. In addition, we propose that lateral inhibition between LS sub-circuits may allow the emergence of functional units that orchestrates competing motivated behaviors.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Felix Leroy
- Instituto de Neurociencias CSIC-UMH, San Juan de Alicante, Spain.
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25
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Shin H, Byun J, Roh D, Choi N, Shin HS, Cho IJ. Interference-free, lightweight wireless neural probe system for investigating brain activity during natural competition. Biosens Bioelectron 2022; 195:113665. [PMID: 34610533 DOI: 10.1016/j.bios.2021.113665] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/08/2021] [Revised: 09/17/2021] [Accepted: 09/18/2021] [Indexed: 12/26/2022]
Abstract
Competition is one of the most fundamental, yet complex, conflicts between social animals, and previous studies have indicated that the medial prefrontal cortex (mPFC) region of a brain is involved in social interactions. However, because we do not have a lightweight, wireless recording system that is free of interference, it is still unclear how the neural activity of the mPFC region is involved in the diverse, interacting behaviors that comprise competition. Herein, we present an interference-free, lightweight, wireless neural probe system that we applied to two mice to measure mPFC neural activities during a food competition test. In the test, we categorized 18 behavioral repertoires expressed by the mice. From the analysis of the neural signals during each repetition of the test, we found that the mPFC neural activity had the most positive correlation with goal-driven competitive behaviors, such as guarding resources and behaviors related to the extortion of resources. Remarkably, we found that the neural activity associated with guarding behavior was higher than that of extorting behavior, and this highlighted the importance of resource-guarding behavior for winning the competition, i.e., 'winning a trophy is hard, but keeping it is harder'. Our approach in which a wireless system is used will enable in-depth studies of the brains of mice in their natural social interactions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hyogeun Shin
- Center for BioMicrosystems, Brain Science Institute, Korea Institute of Science and Technology (KIST), Seoul, Republic of Korea
| | - Junweon Byun
- Center for Cognition and Sociality, Institute for Basic Science (IBS), Daejeon, Republic of Korea; Department for Basic Science, IBS School, Korea University of Science and Technology (UST), Daejeon, Republic of Korea
| | - Donghyun Roh
- Center for BioMicrosystems, Brain Science Institute, Korea Institute of Science and Technology (KIST), Seoul, Republic of Korea
| | - Nakwon Choi
- Center for BioMicrosystems, Brain Science Institute, Korea Institute of Science and Technology (KIST), Seoul, Republic of Korea; KU-KIST Graduate School of Converging Science and Technology, Korea University, Seoul, Republic of Korea; Division of Bio-Medical Science & Technology, KIST School, Korea University of Science and Technology (UST), Seoul, Republic of Korea
| | - Hee-Sup Shin
- Center for Cognition and Sociality, Institute for Basic Science (IBS), Daejeon, Republic of Korea; Department for Basic Science, IBS School, Korea University of Science and Technology (UST), Daejeon, Republic of Korea.
| | - Il-Joo Cho
- Center for BioMicrosystems, Brain Science Institute, Korea Institute of Science and Technology (KIST), Seoul, Republic of Korea; Division of Bio-Medical Science & Technology, KIST School, Korea University of Science and Technology (UST), Seoul, Republic of Korea; School of Electrical and Electronics Engineering, Yonsei University, Seoul, Republic of Korea; Yonsei-KIST Convergence Research Institute, Yonsei University, Seoul, Republic of Korea.
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26
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Gouveia A, de Oliveira Beleza R, Steculorum SM. AgRP neuronal activity across feeding-related behaviours. Eur J Neurosci 2021; 54:7458-7475. [PMID: 34655481 DOI: 10.1111/ejn.15498] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/06/2021] [Revised: 10/06/2021] [Accepted: 10/09/2021] [Indexed: 01/24/2023]
Abstract
AgRP neurons trigger one of the most potent orexigenic responses and are both necessary and sufficient for feeding. Recent technical advances for monitoring in vivo neuronal activity have revisited a previously well-established model of AgRP neurons' feeding regulatory effects. Our current understanding of AgRP neurons has increased in complexity and revealed a fine-tuned regulation of their activity dynamics across the whole sequence of feeding-related behaviours. This review focuses on recent studies that refined and re-evaluated our understanding of the regulatory principles and behavioural effects of AgRP circuits. We aim to cover major discoveries on the dynamic regulation of AgRP neuronal activity by exteroceptive and interoceptive food-related cues, their pleiotropic effects in feeding and whole-body homeostasis, and the associated AgRP circuits. The function and regulation of AgRP neuron will be sequentially discussed across the temporal series of behavioural and physiological changes occurring during the appetitive (food craving and foraging), the anticipatory (discovery of food-predicting cues), and the consummatory/post-ingestive phase of feeding (calorie ingestion).
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Affiliation(s)
- Ayden Gouveia
- Max Planck Institute for Metabolism Research, Max Planck Research Group Neurocircuit Wiring and Function, Cologne, Germany.,Cologne Excellence Cluster for Stress Responses in Ageing-Associated Diseases (CECAD), University of Cologne, Cologne, Germany
| | - Rui de Oliveira Beleza
- Max Planck Institute for Metabolism Research, Max Planck Research Group Neurocircuit Wiring and Function, Cologne, Germany.,Cologne Excellence Cluster for Stress Responses in Ageing-Associated Diseases (CECAD), University of Cologne, Cologne, Germany
| | - Sophie M Steculorum
- Max Planck Institute for Metabolism Research, Max Planck Research Group Neurocircuit Wiring and Function, Cologne, Germany.,Cologne Excellence Cluster for Stress Responses in Ageing-Associated Diseases (CECAD), University of Cologne, Cologne, Germany.,German Center for Diabetes Research (DZD), Neuherberg, Germany
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27
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Barajas-Azpeleta R, Tastekin I, Ribeiro C. Neuroscience: How the brain prioritizes behaviors. Curr Biol 2021; 31:R1125-R1127. [PMID: 34637713 DOI: 10.1016/j.cub.2021.08.048] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/16/2022]
Abstract
To optimize our choices, we need to prioritize among different goals. A recent study used a new Drosophila behavioral paradigm, bringing together conflicting behavioral choices in the context of different internal states and sensory cues, to provide foundational insights into the circuit mechanisms underlying how the brain prioritizes behavioral decisions.
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28
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Cheriyamkunnel SJ, Rose S, Jacob PF, Blackburn LA, Glasgow S, Moorse J, Winstanley M, Moynihan PJ, Waddell S, Rezaval C. A neuronal mechanism controlling the choice between feeding and sexual behaviors in Drosophila. Curr Biol 2021; 31:4231-4245.e4. [PMID: 34358444 PMCID: PMC8538064 DOI: 10.1016/j.cub.2021.07.029] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/10/2020] [Revised: 05/25/2021] [Accepted: 07/13/2021] [Indexed: 01/28/2023]
Abstract
Animals must express the appropriate behavior that meets their most pressing physiological needs and their environmental context. However, it is currently unclear how alternative behavioral options are evaluated and appropriate actions are prioritized. Here, we describe how fruit flies choose between feeding and courtship; two behaviors necessary for survival and reproduction. We show that sex- and food-deprived male flies prioritize feeding over courtship initiation, and manipulation of food quality or the animal's internal state fine-tunes this decision. We identify the tyramine signaling pathway as an essential mediator of this decision. Tyramine biosynthesis is regulated by the fly's nutritional state and acts as a satiety signal, favoring courtship over feeding. Tyramine inhibits a subset of feeding-promoting tyramine receptor (TyrR)-expressing neurons and activates P1 neurons, a known command center for courtship. Conversely, the perception of a nutritious food source activates TyrR neurons and inhibits P1 neurons. Therefore, TyrR and P1 neurons are oppositely modulated by starvation, via tyramine levels, and food availability. We propose that antagonistic co-regulation of neurons controlling alternative actions is key to prioritizing competing drives in a context- dependent manner.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Saloni Rose
- School of Biosciences, University of Birmingham, Birmingham B15 2TT, UK
| | - Pedro F Jacob
- Centre for Neural Circuits and Behaviour, University of Oxford, Oxford OX1 3SR, UK
| | | | - Shaleen Glasgow
- School of Biosciences, University of Birmingham, Birmingham B15 2TT, UK
| | - Jacob Moorse
- School of Biosciences, University of Birmingham, Birmingham B15 2TT, UK
| | - Mike Winstanley
- School of Biosciences, University of Birmingham, Birmingham B15 2TT, UK
| | | | - Scott Waddell
- Centre for Neural Circuits and Behaviour, University of Oxford, Oxford OX1 3SR, UK
| | - Carolina Rezaval
- School of Biosciences, University of Birmingham, Birmingham B15 2TT, UK.
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29
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Grieco F, Bernstein BJ, Biemans B, Bikovski L, Burnett CJ, Cushman JD, van Dam EA, Fry SA, Richmond-Hacham B, Homberg JR, Kas MJH, Kessels HW, Koopmans B, Krashes MJ, Krishnan V, Logan S, Loos M, McCann KE, Parduzi Q, Pick CG, Prevot TD, Riedel G, Robinson L, Sadighi M, Smit AB, Sonntag W, Roelofs RF, Tegelenbosch RAJ, Noldus LPJJ. Measuring Behavior in the Home Cage: Study Design, Applications, Challenges, and Perspectives. Front Behav Neurosci 2021; 15:735387. [PMID: 34630052 PMCID: PMC8498589 DOI: 10.3389/fnbeh.2021.735387] [Citation(s) in RCA: 38] [Impact Index Per Article: 12.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/02/2021] [Accepted: 08/27/2021] [Indexed: 12/14/2022] Open
Abstract
The reproducibility crisis (or replication crisis) in biomedical research is a particularly existential and under-addressed issue in the field of behavioral neuroscience, where, in spite of efforts to standardize testing and assay protocols, several known and unknown sources of confounding environmental factors add to variance. Human interference is a major contributor to variability both within and across laboratories, as well as novelty-induced anxiety. Attempts to reduce human interference and to measure more "natural" behaviors in subjects has led to the development of automated home-cage monitoring systems. These systems enable prolonged and longitudinal recordings, and provide large continuous measures of spontaneous behavior that can be analyzed across multiple time scales. In this review, a diverse team of neuroscientists and product developers share their experiences using such an automated monitoring system that combines Noldus PhenoTyper® home-cages and the video-based tracking software, EthoVision® XT, to extract digital biomarkers of motor, emotional, social and cognitive behavior. After presenting our working definition of a "home-cage", we compare home-cage testing with more conventional out-of-cage tests (e.g., the open field) and outline the various advantages of the former, including opportunities for within-subject analyses and assessments of circadian and ultradian activity. Next, we address technical issues pertaining to the acquisition of behavioral data, such as the fine-tuning of the tracking software and the potential for integration with biotelemetry and optogenetics. Finally, we provide guidance on which behavioral measures to emphasize, how to filter, segment, and analyze behavior, and how to use analysis scripts. We summarize how the PhenoTyper has applications to study neuropharmacology as well as animal models of neurodegenerative and neuropsychiatric illness. Looking forward, we examine current challenges and the impact of new developments. Examples include the automated recognition of specific behaviors, unambiguous tracking of individuals in a social context, the development of more animal-centered measures of behavior and ways of dealing with large datasets. Together, we advocate that by embracing standardized home-cage monitoring platforms like the PhenoTyper, we are poised to directly assess issues pertaining to reproducibility, and more importantly, measure features of rodent behavior under more ethologically relevant scenarios.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Briana J Bernstein
- Neurobiology Laboratory, National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences, National Institutes of Health, Research Triangle Park, NC, United States
| | | | - Lior Bikovski
- Myers Neuro-Behavioral Core Facility, Sackler Faculty of Medicine, Tel Aviv University, Tel Aviv, Israel
- School of Behavioral Sciences, Netanya Academic College, Netanya, Israel
| | - C Joseph Burnett
- Nash Family Department of Neuroscience, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, United States
| | - Jesse D Cushman
- Neurobiology Laboratory, National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences, National Institutes of Health, Research Triangle Park, NC, United States
| | | | - Sydney A Fry
- Neurobiology Laboratory, National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences, National Institutes of Health, Research Triangle Park, NC, United States
| | - Bar Richmond-Hacham
- Department of Anatomy and Anthropology, Sackler School of Medicine, Tel Aviv University, Tel Aviv, Israel
| | - Judith R Homberg
- Department of Cognitive Neuroscience, Donders Institute for Brain, Cognition and Behaviour, Radboud University Nijmegen Medical Centre, Nijmegen, Netherlands
| | - Martien J H Kas
- Groningen Institute for Evolutionary Life Sciences, University of Groningen, Groningen, Netherlands
| | - Helmut W Kessels
- Swammerdam Institute for Life Sciences, University of Amsterdam, Amsterdam, Netherlands
| | | | - Michael J Krashes
- National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD, United States
| | - Vaishnav Krishnan
- Laboratory of Epilepsy and Emotional Behavior, Baylor Comprehensive Epilepsy Center, Departments of Neurology, Neuroscience, and Psychiatry & Behavioral Sciences, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX, United States
| | - Sreemathi Logan
- Department of Rehabilitation Sciences, College of Allied Health, University of Oklahoma Health Sciences Center, Oklahoma City, OK, United States
| | - Maarten Loos
- Sylics (Synaptologics BV), Amsterdam, Netherlands
| | - Katharine E McCann
- Neurobiology Laboratory, National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences, National Institutes of Health, Research Triangle Park, NC, United States
| | | | - Chaim G Pick
- Department of Anatomy and Anthropology, Sackler School of Medicine, Tel Aviv University, Tel Aviv, Israel
- Sagol School of Neuroscience, Tel Aviv University, Tel Aviv, Israel
- The Dr. Miriam and Sheldon G. Adelson Chair and Center for the Biology of Addictive Diseases, Tel Aviv University, Tel Aviv, Israel
| | - Thomas D Prevot
- Centre for Addiction and Mental Health and Department of Psychiatry, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada
| | - Gernot Riedel
- Institute of Medical Sciences, University of Aberdeen, Aberdeen, United Kingdom
| | - Lianne Robinson
- Institute of Medical Sciences, University of Aberdeen, Aberdeen, United Kingdom
| | - Mina Sadighi
- Department of Cognitive Neuroscience, Donders Institute for Brain, Cognition and Behaviour, Radboud University Nijmegen Medical Centre, Nijmegen, Netherlands
| | - August B Smit
- Department of Molecular and Cellular Neurobiology, Center for Neurogenomics and Cognitive Research, VU University Amsterdam, Amsterdam, Netherlands
| | - William Sonntag
- Department of Biochemistry & Molecular Biology, Center for Geroscience, University of Oklahoma Health Sciences Center, Oklahoma City, OK, United States
| | | | | | - Lucas P J J Noldus
- Noldus Information Technology BV, Wageningen, Netherlands
- Department of Biophysics, Donders Institute for Brain, Cognition and Behaviour, Radboud University, Nijmegen, Netherlands
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30
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Deem JD, Faber CL, Morton GJ. AgRP neurons: Regulators of feeding, energy expenditure, and behavior. FEBS J 2021; 289:2362-2381. [PMID: 34469623 DOI: 10.1111/febs.16176] [Citation(s) in RCA: 43] [Impact Index Per Article: 14.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/17/2021] [Revised: 07/30/2021] [Accepted: 08/31/2021] [Indexed: 12/11/2022]
Abstract
Neurons in the hypothalamic arcuate nucleus (ARC) that express agouti-related peptide (AgRP) govern a critical aspect of survival: the drive to eat. Equally important to survival is the timing at which food is consumed-seeking or eating food to alleviate hunger in the face of a more pressing threat, like the risk of predation, is clearly maladaptive. To ensure optimal prioritization of behaviors within a given environment, therefore, AgRP neurons must integrate signals of internal need states with contextual environmental cues. In this state-of-the-art review, we highlight recent advances that extend our understanding of AgRP neurons, including the neural circuits they engage to regulate feeding, energy expenditure, and behavior. We also discuss key findings that illustrate how both classical feedback and anticipatory feedforward signals regulate this neuronal population and how the integration of these signals may be disrupted in states of energy excess. Finally, we examine both technical and conceptual challenges facing the field moving forward.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jennifer D Deem
- Department of Medicine, UW Medicine Diabetes Institute, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, USA
| | - Chelsea L Faber
- Department of Medicine, UW Medicine Diabetes Institute, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, USA.,Department of Neurosurgery, Ivy Brain Tumor Center, Barrow Neurological Institute, Phoenix, AZ, USA
| | - Gregory J Morton
- Department of Medicine, UW Medicine Diabetes Institute, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, USA
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31
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Lee CR, Chen A, Tye KM. The neural circuitry of social homeostasis: Consequences of acute versus chronic social isolation. Cell 2021; 184:1500-1516. [PMID: 33691140 PMCID: PMC8580010 DOI: 10.1016/j.cell.2021.02.028] [Citation(s) in RCA: 44] [Impact Index Per Article: 14.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/07/2020] [Revised: 01/29/2021] [Accepted: 02/09/2021] [Indexed: 11/22/2022]
Abstract
Social homeostasis is the ability of individuals to detect the quantity and quality of social contact, compare it to an established set-point in a command center, and adjust the effort expended to seek the optimal social contact expressed via an effector system. Social contact becomes a positive or negative valence stimulus when it is deficient or in excess, respectively. Chronic deficits lead to set-point adaptations such that reintroduction to the previous optimum is experienced as a surplus. Here, we build upon previous models for social homeostasis to include adaptations to lasting changes in environmental conditions, such as with chronic isolation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Christopher R Lee
- The Salk Institute for Biological Studies, La Jolla, CA 92037, USA; Neurosciences Graduate Program, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, CA 92093, USA
| | - Alon Chen
- Department of Neurobiology, Weizmann Institute of Science, Rehovot 76100, Israel
| | - Kay M Tye
- The Salk Institute for Biological Studies, La Jolla, CA 92037, USA.
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32
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Hunger enhances food-odour attraction through a neuropeptide Y spotlight. Nature 2021; 592:262-266. [PMID: 33658716 PMCID: PMC8035273 DOI: 10.1038/s41586-021-03299-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 46] [Impact Index Per Article: 15.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/01/2019] [Accepted: 01/26/2021] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
Abstract
Internal state controls olfaction through poorly understood mechanisms. Odors signifying food, mates, competitors, and predators activate parallel neural circuits that may be flexibly shaped by physiological need to alter behavioral outcome1. Here, we identify a neuronal mechanism by which hunger selectively promotes attraction to food odors over other olfactory cues. Optogenetic activation of hypothalamic Agouti-Related Peptide (AGRP) neurons enhances attraction to food odors but not pheromones, with branch-specific activation and inhibition revealing a key role for projections to the paraventricular thalamus. Knockout mice lacking Neuropeptide Y (NPY) or NPY receptor type 5 (NPY5R) fail to prefer food odors over pheromones after fasting, with hunger-dependent food odor attraction restored by cell-specific NPY rescue in AGRP neurons. Furthermore, acute NPY injection immediately rescues behavior without additional training, indicating that NPY is required for reading olfactory circuits during behavioral expression rather than writing olfactory circuits during odor learning. Together, these findings show that food odor-responsive neurons comprise an olfactory subcircuit that listens to hunger state through thalamic NPY release, and more generally, provide mechanistic insights into how internal state regulates behavior.
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33
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Smith NK, Grueter BA. Hunger-driven adaptive prioritization of behavior. FEBS J 2021; 289:922-936. [PMID: 33630426 DOI: 10.1111/febs.15791] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/18/2020] [Revised: 02/11/2021] [Accepted: 02/24/2021] [Indexed: 12/19/2022]
Abstract
In order to survive, an animal must adapt its behavioral priorities to accommodate changing internal and external conditions. Hunger, a universally recognized interoceptive signal, promotes food intake though increasingly well-understood neural circuits. Less understood, is how hunger is integrated into the neural computations that guide nonfeeding behaviors. Within the brain, agouti-related peptide neurons in the arcuate nucleus of the hypothalamus have been found to powerfully stimulate feeding in addition to mediating other hunger-driven behavioral phenotypes. In this review, we compile the behavioral plasticity downstream of hunger and present identified or potential molecular and neural circuit mechanisms. We catalogue hunger's ability to increase exploration, decrease anxiety, and alter social behavior, among other phenotypes. Finally, we suggest paths forward for understanding hunger-driven behavioral adaptation and discuss the benefits of understanding state-dependent modulation of neural circuits controlling behavior.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nicholas K Smith
- Neuroscience Graduate Program, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN, USA
| | - Brad A Grueter
- Vanderbilt Brain Institute, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN, USA.,Department of Anesthesiology, Vanderbilt University Medical Center, Nashville, TN, USA.,Vanderbilt Center for Addiction Research, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN, USA.,Department of Molecular Physiology and Biophysics, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN, USA.,Department of Pharmacology, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN, USA
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34
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Matikainen-Ankney BA, Earnest T, Ali M, Casey E, Wang JG, Sutton AK, Legaria AA, Barclay KM, Murdaugh LB, Norris MR, Chang YH, Nguyen KP, Lin E, Reichenbach A, Clarke RE, Stark R, Conway SM, Carvalho F, Al-Hasani R, McCall JG, Creed MC, Cazares V, Buczynski MW, Krashes MJ, Andrews ZB, Kravitz AV. An open-source device for measuring food intake and operant behavior in rodent home-cages. eLife 2021; 10:66173. [PMID: 33779547 PMCID: PMC8075584 DOI: 10.7554/elife.66173] [Citation(s) in RCA: 48] [Impact Index Per Article: 16.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/04/2021] [Accepted: 03/26/2021] [Indexed: 01/26/2023] Open
Abstract
Feeding is critical for survival, and disruption in the mechanisms that govern food intake underlies disorders such as obesity and anorexia nervosa. It is important to understand both food intake and food motivation to reveal mechanisms underlying feeding disorders. Operant behavioral testing can be used to measure the motivational component to feeding, but most food intake monitoring systems do not measure operant behavior. Here, we present a new solution for monitoring both food intake and motivation in rodent home-cages: the Feeding Experimentation Device version 3 (FED3). FED3 measures food intake and operant behavior in rodent home-cages, enabling longitudinal studies of feeding behavior with minimal experimenter intervention. It has a programmable output for synchronizing behavior with optogenetic stimulation or neural recordings. Finally, FED3 design files are open-source and freely available, allowing researchers to modify FED3 to suit their needs.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Thomas Earnest
- Department of Psychiatry, Washington University in St. LouisSt. LouisUnited States
| | - Mohamed Ali
- National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney DiseasesBethesdaUnited States,Department of Bioengineering, University of MarylandCollege ParkUnited States
| | - Eric Casey
- Department of Psychiatry, Washington University in St. LouisSt. LouisUnited States
| | - Justin G Wang
- Department of Neuroscience, Washington University in St. LouisSt. LouisUnited States
| | - Amy K Sutton
- National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney DiseasesBethesdaUnited States
| | - Alex A Legaria
- Department of Neuroscience, Washington University in St. LouisSt. LouisUnited States
| | - Kia M Barclay
- Department of Neuroscience, Washington University in St. LouisSt. LouisUnited States
| | - Laura B Murdaugh
- Department of Neuroscience, Virginia Polytechnic and State UniversityBlacksburgUnited States
| | - Makenzie R Norris
- Department of Neuroscience, Washington University in St. LouisSt. LouisUnited States,Center for Clinical Pharmacology, University of Health Sciences and PharmacySt. LouisUnited States
| | - Yu-Hsuan Chang
- Department of Neuroscience, Washington University in St. LouisSt. LouisUnited States
| | - Katrina P Nguyen
- National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney DiseasesBethesdaUnited States
| | - Eric Lin
- Department of Psychiatry, Washington University in St. LouisSt. LouisUnited States
| | | | | | - Romana Stark
- Department of Physiology, Monash UniversityClaytonAustralia
| | - Sineadh M Conway
- Center for Clinical Pharmacology, University of Health Sciences and PharmacySt. LouisUnited States,Department of Anesthesiology, Washington University in St. LouisSt. LouisUnited States
| | | | - Ream Al-Hasani
- Center for Clinical Pharmacology, University of Health Sciences and PharmacySt. LouisUnited States,Department of Anesthesiology, Washington University in St. LouisSt. LouisUnited States
| | - Jordan G McCall
- Center for Clinical Pharmacology, University of Health Sciences and PharmacySt. LouisUnited States,Department of Anesthesiology, Washington University in St. LouisSt. LouisUnited States
| | - Meaghan C Creed
- Department of Psychiatry, Washington University in St. LouisSt. LouisUnited States,Department of Neuroscience, Washington University in St. LouisSt. LouisUnited States,Department of Anesthesiology, Washington University in St. LouisSt. LouisUnited States
| | - Victor Cazares
- Department of Psychology, Williams CollegeWilliamstownUnited States
| | - Matthew W Buczynski
- Department of Neuroscience, Virginia Polytechnic and State UniversityBlacksburgUnited States
| | - Michael J Krashes
- National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney DiseasesBethesdaUnited States
| | - Zane B Andrews
- Department of Physiology, Monash UniversityClaytonAustralia
| | - Alexxai V Kravitz
- Department of Psychiatry, Washington University in St. LouisSt. LouisUnited States,Department of Neuroscience, Washington University in St. LouisSt. LouisUnited States,Department of Anesthesiology, Washington University in St. LouisSt. LouisUnited States
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35
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Reppucci CJ, Brown LA, Chambers AQ, Veenema AH. Wistar rats and C57BL/6 mice differ in their motivation to seek social interaction versus food in the Social versus Food Preference Test. Physiol Behav 2020; 227:113162. [PMID: 32877644 PMCID: PMC7655716 DOI: 10.1016/j.physbeh.2020.113162] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/22/2020] [Revised: 08/08/2020] [Accepted: 08/26/2020] [Indexed: 02/07/2023]
Abstract
Here we characterized the Social versus Food Preference Test, a behavioral paradigm designed to investigate the competition between the choice to seek social interaction versus the choice to seek food. We assessed how this competition was modulated by internal cues (social isolation, food deprivation), external cues (stimulus salience), sex (males, females), age (adolescents, adults), and rodent model (Wistar rats, C57BL/6 mice). We found that changes in stimulus preference in response to the internal and external cue manipulations were similar across cohorts. Specifically, social over food preference scores were reduced by food deprivation and social familiarly in Wistar rats and C57BL/6 mice of both sexes. Interestingly, the degree of food deprivation-induced changes in stimulus investigation patterns were greater in adolescents compared to adults in Wistar rats and C57BL/6 mice. Strikingly, baseline stimulus preference and investigation times varied greatly between rodent models: across manipulations, Wistar rats were generally more social-preferring and C57BL/6 mice were generally more food-preferring. Adolescent Wistar rats spent more time investigating the social and food stimuli than adult Wistar rats, while adolescent and adult C57BL/6 mice investigated the stimuli a similar amount. Social isolation did not alter behavior in the Social versus Food Preference Test. Together, our results indicate that the Social versus Food Preference Test is a flexible behavioral paradigm suitable for future interrogations of the peripheral and central systems that can coordinate the expression of stimulus preference related to multiple motivated behaviors.
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Affiliation(s)
- Christina J Reppucci
- Department of Psychology & Neuroscience Program, Michigan State University, 766 Service Road, 4016 ISTB, East Lansing, MI 48824, United States.
| | - Leigha A Brown
- Department of Psychology & Neuroscience Program, Michigan State University, 766 Service Road, 4016 ISTB, East Lansing, MI 48824, United States
| | - Ashley Q Chambers
- Department of Psychology & Neuroscience Program, Michigan State University, 766 Service Road, 4016 ISTB, East Lansing, MI 48824, United States
| | - Alexa H Veenema
- Department of Psychology & Neuroscience Program, Michigan State University, 766 Service Road, 4016 ISTB, East Lansing, MI 48824, United States
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36
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Liu CM, Hsu TM, Suarez AN, Subramanian KS, Fatemi RA, Cortella AM, Noble EE, Roitman MF, Kanoski SE. Central oxytocin signaling inhibits food reward-motivated behaviors and VTA dopamine responses to food-predictive cues in male rats. Horm Behav 2020; 126:104855. [PMID: 32991888 PMCID: PMC7757852 DOI: 10.1016/j.yhbeh.2020.104855] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/08/2020] [Revised: 08/02/2020] [Accepted: 08/23/2020] [Indexed: 01/08/2023]
Abstract
Oxytocin potently reduces food intake and is a potential target system for obesity treatment. A better understanding of the behavioral and neurobiological mechanisms mediating oxytocin's anorexigenic effects may guide more effective obesity pharmacotherapy development. The present study examined the effects of central (lateral intracerebroventricular [ICV]) administration of oxytocin in rats on motivated responding for palatable food. Various conditioning procedures were employed to measure distinct appetitive behavioral domains, including food seeking in the absence of consumption (conditioned place preference expression), impulsive responding for food (differential reinforcement of low rates of responding), effort-based appetitive decision making (high-effort palatable vs. low-effort bland food), and sucrose reward value encoding following a motivational shift (incentive learning). Results reveal that ICV oxytocin potently reduces food-seeking behavior, impulsivity, and effort-based palatable food choice, yet does not influence encoding of sucrose reward value in the incentive learning task. To investigate a potential neurobiological mechanism mediating these behavioral outcomes, we utilized in vivo fiber photometry in ventral tegmental area (VTA) dopamine neurons to examine oxytocin's effect on phasic dopamine neuron responses to sucrose-predictive Pavlovian cues. Results reveal that ICV oxytocin significantly reduced food cue-evoked dopamine neuron activity. Collectively, these data reveal that central oxytocin signaling inhibits various obesity-relevant conditioned appetitive behaviors, potentially via reductions in food cue-driven phasic dopamine neural responses in the VTA.
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Affiliation(s)
- Clarissa M Liu
- Neuroscience Graduate Program, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA, United States; Department of Biological Sciences, Human and Evolutionary Biology Section, University of Southern California, 3616 Trousdale Parkway, AHF 252, Los Angeles, CA 90089, United States
| | - Ted M Hsu
- Department of Psychology, University of Illinois at Chicago, 1007 W. Harrison St., Chicago, IL 60607-7137, United States
| | - Andrea N Suarez
- Department of Biological Sciences, Human and Evolutionary Biology Section, University of Southern California, 3616 Trousdale Parkway, AHF 252, Los Angeles, CA 90089, United States
| | - Keshav S Subramanian
- Neuroscience Graduate Program, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA, United States; Department of Biological Sciences, Human and Evolutionary Biology Section, University of Southern California, 3616 Trousdale Parkway, AHF 252, Los Angeles, CA 90089, United States
| | - Ryan A Fatemi
- Department of Biological Sciences, Human and Evolutionary Biology Section, University of Southern California, 3616 Trousdale Parkway, AHF 252, Los Angeles, CA 90089, United States
| | - Alyssa M Cortella
- Department of Biological Sciences, Human and Evolutionary Biology Section, University of Southern California, 3616 Trousdale Parkway, AHF 252, Los Angeles, CA 90089, United States
| | - Emily E Noble
- Department of Foods and Nutrition, University of Georgia, 129 Barrow Hall, Athens, GA 30602, United States
| | - Mitchell F Roitman
- Department of Psychology, University of Illinois at Chicago, 1007 W. Harrison St., Chicago, IL 60607-7137, United States
| | - Scott E Kanoski
- Neuroscience Graduate Program, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA, United States; Department of Biological Sciences, Human and Evolutionary Biology Section, University of Southern California, 3616 Trousdale Parkway, AHF 252, Los Angeles, CA 90089, United States.
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37
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Reppucci CJ, Veenema AH. The social versus food preference test: A behavioral paradigm for studying competing motivated behaviors in rodents. MethodsX 2020; 7:101119. [PMID: 33224737 PMCID: PMC7666348 DOI: 10.1016/j.mex.2020.101119] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/29/2020] [Accepted: 10/22/2020] [Indexed: 12/14/2022] Open
Abstract
Behavior is influenced by a combination of factors, with the expression of the appropriate behavior dependent on an individual's current motivational state and the presence of stimuli in their surrounding environment. Thus far, most laboratory studies have focused on uncovering the peripheral and central systems that regulate the expression of a single behavior or the expression of a suite of behaviors associated with a single motivational state. In natural settings, however, an individual can be simultaneously experiencing multiple motivational states with multiple choices of how to act. Yet, the direct assessment of the roles of peripheral and central systems in coordinating motivated behavioral choice is largely understudied. This may be due to a lack of behavioral tests that are suitable for such investigations. Here, we describe a recently developed behavioral paradigm, hereafter called the Social versus Food Preference Test. This behavioral paradigm was validated in both rats and mice and is highly flexible, which will allow addressing of a wide range of research questions concerning the peripheral and central systems that coordinate the choice to seek social interaction versus the choice to seek food.•This paradigm was validated in rats and mice, the two most commonly used nonhuman species in behavioral research, but could be adapted for use in other rodent models.•The specific social and food stimuli used can be selected based on the research question.•Three-chamber apparatuses can be custom-constructed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Christina J. Reppucci
- Department of Psychology & Neuroscience Program, Michigan State University, United States
| | - Alexa H. Veenema
- Department of Psychology & Neuroscience Program, Michigan State University, United States
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38
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Beutler LR, Corpuz TV, Ahn JS, Kosar S, Song W, Chen Y, Knight ZA. Obesity causes selective and long-lasting desensitization of AgRP neurons to dietary fat. eLife 2020; 9:e55909. [PMID: 32720646 PMCID: PMC7398661 DOI: 10.7554/elife.55909] [Citation(s) in RCA: 64] [Impact Index Per Article: 16.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/10/2020] [Accepted: 07/20/2020] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Body weight is regulated by interoceptive neural circuits that track energy need, but how the activity of these circuits is altered in obesity remains poorly understood. Here we describe the in vivo dynamics of hunger-promoting AgRP neurons during the development of diet-induced obesity in mice. We show that high-fat diet attenuates the response of AgRP neurons to an array of nutritionally-relevant stimuli including food cues, intragastric nutrients, cholecystokinin and ghrelin. These alterations are specific to dietary fat but not carbohydrate or protein. Subsequent weight loss restores the responsiveness of AgRP neurons to exterosensory cues but fails to rescue their sensitivity to gastrointestinal hormones or nutrients. These findings reveal that obesity triggers broad dysregulation of hypothalamic hunger neurons that is incompletely reversed by weight loss and may contribute to the difficulty of maintaining a reduced weight.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | - Jamie S Ahn
- Howard Hughes Medical InstituteChevy ChaseUnited States
| | - Seher Kosar
- Howard Hughes Medical InstituteChevy ChaseUnited States
| | - Weimin Song
- Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine, Comprehensive Metabolic CoreChicagoUnited States
| | - Yiming Chen
- UCSF Department of PhysiologySan FranciscoUnited States
- UCSF Neuroscience Graduate ProgramSan FranciscoUnited States
| | - Zachary A Knight
- Howard Hughes Medical InstituteChevy ChaseUnited States
- UCSF Department of PhysiologySan FranciscoUnited States
- UCSF Neuroscience Graduate ProgramSan FranciscoUnited States
- Kavli Institute for Fundamental NeuroscienceSan FranciscoUnited States
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39
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Sutton AK, Krashes MJ. Integrating Hunger with Rival Motivations. Trends Endocrinol Metab 2020; 31:495-507. [PMID: 32387196 DOI: 10.1016/j.tem.2020.04.006] [Citation(s) in RCA: 37] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/27/2019] [Revised: 04/09/2020] [Accepted: 04/13/2020] [Indexed: 12/11/2022]
Abstract
Motivated behaviors have fascinated neuroscientists and ethologists for decades due to their necessity for organism survival. Motivations guide behavioral choice through an intricate synthesis of internal state detection, external stimulus exposure, and learned associations. One critical motivation, hunger, provides an accessible example for understanding purposeful behavior. Neuroscientists commonly focus research efforts on neural circuits underlying individual motivations, sacrificing ethological relevance for tight experimental control. This restrictive focus deprives the field of a more nuanced understanding of the unified nervous system in weighing multiple motivations simultaneously and choosing, moment-to-moment, optimal behaviors for survival. Here, we explore the reciprocal interplay between hunger, encoded via hypothalamic neurons marked by the expression of Agouti-related peptide, and alternative need-based motivational systems.
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Affiliation(s)
- Amy K Sutton
- Diabetes, Endocrinology, and Obesity Branch, National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases (NIDDK), National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD 20892, USA
| | - Michael J Krashes
- Diabetes, Endocrinology, and Obesity Branch, National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases (NIDDK), National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD 20892, USA; National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA), National Institutes of Health, Baltimore, MD 21224, USA.
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40
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Lenschow C, Lima SQ. In the mood for sex: neural circuits for reproduction. Curr Opin Neurobiol 2020; 60:155-168. [DOI: 10.1016/j.conb.2019.12.001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/01/2019] [Revised: 12/01/2019] [Accepted: 12/04/2019] [Indexed: 12/31/2022]
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Allostasis: A Brain-Centered, Predictive Mode of Physiological Regulation. Trends Neurosci 2019; 42:740-752. [PMID: 31488322 DOI: 10.1016/j.tins.2019.07.010] [Citation(s) in RCA: 86] [Impact Index Per Article: 17.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/24/2019] [Revised: 07/10/2019] [Accepted: 07/30/2019] [Indexed: 12/26/2022]
Abstract
Although the concept of allostasis was proposed some 30 years ago, doubts persist about its precise meaning and whether it is useful. Here we review the concept in the context of recent studies as a strategy to efficiently regulate physiology and behavior. The brain, sensing the internal and external milieu, and consulting its database, predicts what is likely to be needed; then, it computes the best response. The brain rewards a better-than-predicted result with a pulse of dopamine, thereby encouraging the organism to learn effective regulatory behaviors. The brain, by prioritizing behaviors and dynamically adjusting the flows of energy and nutrients, reduces costly errors and exploits more opportunities. Despite significant costs of computation, allostasis pays off and can now be recognized as a core principle of organismal design.
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