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Combining Quantitative Food-intake Assays and Forcibly Activating Neurons to Study Appetite in Drosophila
Published on: April 24, 2018
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Taotie neurons regulate appetite in Drosophila
Yin Peng Zhan1,2, Li Liu1,2, Yan Zhu1,2
1State Key Laboratory of Brain and Cognitive Science, Institute of Biophysics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100101, China.
Nature Communications
|December 8, 2016
Summary
Researchers discovered appetite-enhancing neurons, called Taotie neurons, in flies. These neurons regulate feeding motivation and insulin secretion, offering insights into feeding control and obesity.
Area of Science:
- Neuroscience
- Behavioral Biology
- Endocrinology
Background:
- The brain regulates energy balance through feeding behavior.
- Understanding feeding control mechanisms is crucial for addressing physiological and psychological disorders.
Purpose of the Study:
- To identify novel neural circuits involved in regulating feeding motivation.
- To investigate the role of specific neurons in controlling appetite and energy homeostasis.
Main Methods:
- Behavioral screening in Drosophila to identify appetite-modulating neurons.
- Genetic manipulation of neuronal activity (Taotie neurons).
- In vivo recording of neuronal activity and measurement of insulin secretion.
Main Results:
- Identification of Taotie neurons that enhance appetite in flies.
- Bidirectional manipulation of Taotie neuron activity altered feeding motivation.
- Long-term stimulation led to obesity; activity reflected hunger/satiety states.
- Taotie neurons control insulin secretion, a key feeding regulator.
Conclusions:
- Taotie neurons represent a newly identified neural population regulating feeding behavior in Drosophila.
- These neurons integrate physiological hunger states and influence feeding decisions.
- This discovery provides a new avenue for understanding feeding disorders.
