An mPOA-ARCAgRP pathway modulates cold-evoked eating behavior

Shuo Yang; Yu Lin Tan; Xiaohua Wu; Jingjie Wang; Jingjing Sun; Anqi Liu; Linhua Gan; Bo Shen; Xiaocui Zhang; Yu Fu; Ju Huang

doi:10.1016/j.celrep.2021.109502

An mPOA-ARC^AgRP pathway modulates cold-evoked eating behavior

Cell Rep. 2021 Aug 10;36(6):109502. doi: 10.1016/j.celrep.2021.109502.

Authors

Shuo Yang¹, Yu Lin Tan², Xiaohua Wu¹, Jingjie Wang¹, Jingjing Sun¹, Anqi Liu¹, Linhua Gan¹, Bo Shen³, Xiaocui Zhang⁴, Yu Fu², Ju Huang⁵

Affiliations

¹ Center for Brain Science of Shanghai Children's Medical Center, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai 200127, China; Department of Anatomy and Physiology, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai 200025, China.
² Singapore Bioimaging Consortium, 11 Biopolis Way, Singapore 138667, Singapore.
³ Department of Neurology and Institute of Neurology, Huashan Hospital, Fudan University, 12 Wulumuqi Zhong Road, Shanghai 200040, China.
⁴ Core Facility of Basic Medical Sciences, Basic Medicine Faculty of Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai 200025, China.
⁵ Center for Brain Science of Shanghai Children's Medical Center, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai 200127, China; Department of Anatomy and Physiology, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai 200025, China; Shanghai Research Center for Brain Science and Brain-Inspired Intelligence, Shanghai 201210, China. Electronic address: juhuang@shsmu.edu.cn.

PMID: 34380037
DOI: 10.1016/j.celrep.2021.109502

Abstract

Enhanced appetite occurs as a means of behavioral thermoregulation at low temperature. Neural circuitry mediating this crosstalk between behavioral thermoregulation and energy homeostasis remains to be elucidated. We find that the hypothalamic orexigenic agouti-related neuropeptide (AgRP) neurons in the arcuate nucleus (ARC) are profoundly activated by cold exposure. The calcium signals in ARC^AgRP neurons display an immediate-response pattern in response to cold stimulation. Cold-responsive neurons in the medial preoptic area (mPOA) make excitatory synapses onto ARC^AgRP neurons. Inhibition of either ARC^AgRP neurons or ARC-projecting mPOA neurons attenuates cold-evoked feeding, while activation of the mPOA-to-ARC projection increases food intake. These findings reveal an mPOA-ARC^AgRP neural pathway that modulates cold-evoked feeding behavior.

Keywords: ARC; AgRP neurons; POA; appetite; cold-evoked feeding; eating regulation; energy homeostasis; hyperphagia; medial preoptic area; thermoregulation.

Publication types

Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

Agouti-Related Protein / metabolism*
Animals
Arcuate Nucleus of Hypothalamus / physiology*
Cold Temperature*
Feeding Behavior*
Mice
Mice, Inbred C57BL
Neural Pathways / physiology*
Neurons / metabolism
Preoptic Area / physiology*
Synapses / metabolism

Substances

Agouti-Related Protein