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Updated: Jan 15, 2026
04:48
Control of Eating Behavior Using a Novel Feedback System
Published on: May 8, 2018
11.5K
An "electric" microbial cue to control food intake behavior.
1Laboratory of Mucosal Immunology, The Rockefeller University, New York, NY 10065, USA.
Cell Metabolism
|October 8, 2025
Summary
Researchers discovered a gut-brain circuit that rapidly controls feeding. This pathway uses signals from gut bacteria, specifically flagellin, to communicate with the brain via the vagus nerve.
Area of Science:
- Neuroscience
- Gastroenterology
- Microbiology
Background:
- The gut communicates with the brain through various signals, influencing physiology and behavior.
- Microbial signals from the gut are increasingly recognized for their role in gut-brain communication.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the neural circuits involved in sensing microbial signals in the colon.
- To understand the role of bacterial components in regulating feeding behavior.
Main Methods:
- Electrophysiological recordings in a colonic neuropod-vagus circuit.
- Sensing of bacterial flagellin by the identified circuit.
Main Results:
- A direct neural circuit from the colon to the brainstem via the vagus nerve was identified.
- This circuit specifically senses bacterial flagellin, a component of many bacteria.
- Microbial sensing by this circuit rapidly influences feeding behavior.
Conclusions:
- The colonic neuropod-vagus circuit is a key pathway for microbial input to the brain.
- Bacterial flagellin acts as a rapid signal for feeding control.
- This discovery expands our understanding of gut-brain communication and microbial influence on behavior.
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