Melanocortin-4 receptor-expressing neurons in the nucleus accumbens and regulation of food preference
Final Report Abstract
Feeding behavior is orchestrated by a complex neural network that detects and integrates various energy-related signals, and encodes the motivational drives as well as the behavioral repertoire to obtain and consume food. Key components of this system are neural pathways originating in the arcuate nucleus of the hypothalamus (ARC), which monitor the energy status of the body and regulate homeostatic food intake to match energy expenditure. In addition, reinforcing neurons of the mesolimbic system have been shown to regulate feeding behavior, particularly by controlling hedonic aspects of consumption of palatable foods, such as those high in sugar and fat. Despite intensive efforts to understand how the neural pathways underlying these two forms of food intake regulation interact, there remains a fundamental lack of insights into the exact circuit and cellular mechanisms. Moreover, whether targeting these pathways, or their interactions, leverages new therapeutic treatment options for the continuing rise in obesity remains elusive. Therefore, the overarching aim of the current proposal is to assess the interaction of two key neuronal pathways for food intake regulation: The melanocortin system, which is a crucial substrate for the control of homeostatic feeding which originates in the ARC, and the dopaminergic pathway, which regulates the reinforcing and motivational aspects of food intake.
Publications
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Hypothalamic Pomc Neurons Innervate the Spinal Cord and Modulate the Excitability of Premotor Circuits. Current Biology, 30(23), 4579-4593.e7.
Reinoß, Philip; Ciglieri, Elisa; Minére, Marielle; Bremser, Stephan; Klein, Andreas; Löhr, Heiko; Fuller, Patrick M.; Büschges, Ansgar; Kloppenburg, Peter; Fenselau, Henning & Hammerschmidt, Matthias
