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Rojo D, Hael CE, Soria A, de Souza FSJ, Low MJ, Franchini LF, Rubinstein M. A mammalian tripartite enhancer cluster controls hypothalamic Pomc expression, food intake, and body weight. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 2024; 121:e2322692121. [PMID: 38652744 PMCID: PMC11067048 DOI: 10.1073/pnas.2322692121] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/05/2024] [Accepted: 03/12/2024] [Indexed: 04/25/2024] Open
Abstract
Food intake and energy balance are tightly regulated by a group of hypothalamic arcuate neurons expressing the proopiomelanocortin (POMC) gene. In mammals, arcuate-specific POMC expression is driven by two cis-acting transcriptional enhancers known as nPE1 and nPE2. Because mutant mice lacking these two enhancers still showed hypothalamic Pomc mRNA, we searched for additional elements contributing to arcuate Pomc expression. By combining molecular evolution with reporter gene expression in transgenic zebrafish and mice, here, we identified a mammalian arcuate-specific Pomc enhancer that we named nPE3, carrying several binding sites also present in nPE1 and nPE2 for transcription factors known to activate neuronal Pomc expression, such as ISL1, NKX2.1, and ERα. We found that nPE3 originated in the lineage leading to placental mammals and remained under purifying selection in all mammalian orders, although it was lost in Simiiformes (monkeys, apes, and humans) following a unique segmental deletion event. Interestingly, ablation of nPE3 from the mouse genome led to a drastic reduction (>70%) in hypothalamic Pomc mRNA during development and only moderate (<33%) in adult mice. Comparison between double (nPE1 and nPE2) and triple (nPE1, nPE2, and nPE3) enhancer mutants revealed the relative contribution of nPE3 to hypothalamic Pomc expression and its importance in the control of food intake and adiposity in male and female mice. Altogether, these results demonstrate that nPE3 integrates a tripartite cluster of partially redundant enhancers that originated upon a triple convergent evolutionary process in mammals and that is critical for hypothalamic Pomc expression and body weight homeostasis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Daniela Rojo
- Instituto de Investigaciones en Ingeniería Genética y Biología Molecular, Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas, Buenos Aires1428, Argentina
| | - Clara E. Hael
- Instituto de Investigaciones en Ingeniería Genética y Biología Molecular, Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas, Buenos Aires1428, Argentina
| | - Agustina Soria
- Instituto de Investigaciones en Ingeniería Genética y Biología Molecular, Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas, Buenos Aires1428, Argentina
- Departamento de Fisiología, Biología Molecular y Celular, Facultad de Ciencias Exactas y Naturales, Universidad de Buenos Aires, Buenos Aires1428, Argentina
| | - Flávio S. J. de Souza
- Departamento de Fisiología, Biología Molecular y Celular, Facultad de Ciencias Exactas y Naturales, Universidad de Buenos Aires, Buenos Aires1428, Argentina
- Instituto de Fisiología, Biología Molecular y Neurociencias, Universidad de Buenos Aires and Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas, Buenos Aires1428, Argentina
| | - Malcolm J. Low
- Department of Molecular and Integrative Physiology, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI48105
| | - Lucía F. Franchini
- Instituto de Investigaciones en Ingeniería Genética y Biología Molecular, Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas, Buenos Aires1428, Argentina
| | - Marcelo Rubinstein
- Instituto de Investigaciones en Ingeniería Genética y Biología Molecular, Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas, Buenos Aires1428, Argentina
- Departamento de Fisiología, Biología Molecular y Celular, Facultad de Ciencias Exactas y Naturales, Universidad de Buenos Aires, Buenos Aires1428, Argentina
- Department of Molecular and Integrative Physiology, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI48105
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Leon S, Simon V, Lee TH, Steuernagel L, Clark S, Biglari N, Lesté-Lasserre T, Dupuy N, Cannich A, Bellocchio L, Zizzari P, Allard C, Gonzales D, Le Feuvre Y, Lhuillier E, Brochard A, Nicolas JC, Teillon J, Nikolski M, Marsicano G, Fioramonti X, Brüning JC, Cota D, Quarta C. Single cell tracing of Pomc neurons reveals recruitment of 'Ghost' subtypes with atypical identity in a mouse model of obesity. Nat Commun 2024; 15:3443. [PMID: 38658557 PMCID: PMC11043070 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-024-47877-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/13/2023] [Accepted: 04/09/2024] [Indexed: 04/26/2024] Open
Abstract
The hypothalamus contains a remarkable diversity of neurons that orchestrate behavioural and metabolic outputs in a highly plastic manner. Neuronal diversity is key to enabling hypothalamic functions and, according to the neuroscience dogma, it is predetermined during embryonic life. Here, by combining lineage tracing of hypothalamic pro-opiomelanocortin (Pomc) neurons with single-cell profiling approaches in adult male mice, we uncovered subpopulations of 'Ghost' neurons endowed with atypical molecular and functional identity. Compared to 'classical' Pomc neurons, Ghost neurons exhibit negligible Pomc expression and are 'invisible' to available neuroanatomical approaches and promoter-based reporter mice for studying Pomc biology. Ghost neuron numbers augment in diet-induced obese mice, independent of neurogenesis or cell death, but weight loss can reverse this shift. Our work challenges the notion of fixed, developmentally programmed neuronal identities in the mature hypothalamus and highlight the ability of specialised neurons to reversibly adapt their functional identity to adult-onset obesogenic stimuli.
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Affiliation(s)
- Stéphane Leon
- University of Bordeaux, INSERM, Neurocentre Magendie, U1215, F-33000, Bordeaux, France
| | - Vincent Simon
- University of Bordeaux, INSERM, Neurocentre Magendie, U1215, F-33000, Bordeaux, France
| | - Thomas H Lee
- University of Bordeaux, INSERM, Neurocentre Magendie, U1215, F-33000, Bordeaux, France
| | - Lukas Steuernagel
- Department of Neuronal Control of Metabolism, Max Planck Institute for Metabolism Research, Cologne, Germany
| | - Samantha Clark
- University of Bordeaux, INSERM, Neurocentre Magendie, U1215, F-33000, Bordeaux, France
| | - Nasim Biglari
- Department of Neuronal Control of Metabolism, Max Planck Institute for Metabolism Research, Cologne, Germany
| | | | - Nathalie Dupuy
- University of Bordeaux, INSERM, Neurocentre Magendie, U1215, F-33000, Bordeaux, France
| | - Astrid Cannich
- University of Bordeaux, INSERM, Neurocentre Magendie, U1215, F-33000, Bordeaux, France
| | - Luigi Bellocchio
- University of Bordeaux, INSERM, Neurocentre Magendie, U1215, F-33000, Bordeaux, France
| | - Philippe Zizzari
- University of Bordeaux, INSERM, Neurocentre Magendie, U1215, F-33000, Bordeaux, France
| | - Camille Allard
- University of Bordeaux, INSERM, Neurocentre Magendie, U1215, F-33000, Bordeaux, France
| | - Delphine Gonzales
- University of Bordeaux, INSERM, Neurocentre Magendie, U1215, F-33000, Bordeaux, France
| | - Yves Le Feuvre
- University of Bordeaux, INSERM, Neurocentre Magendie, U1215, F-33000, Bordeaux, France
| | - Emeline Lhuillier
- University of Toulouse III Paul Sabatier, INSERM, Institut des Maladies Métaboliques et Cardiovasculaires, U1297, 31400, France; GeT-Santé, Plateforme Génome et Transcriptome, GenoToul, Toulouse, France
| | - Alexandre Brochard
- University of Bordeaux, INSERM, Neurocentre Magendie, U1215, F-33000, Bordeaux, France
| | - Jean Charles Nicolas
- University of Bordeaux, INSERM, Neurocentre Magendie, U1215, F-33000, Bordeaux, France
| | - Jérémie Teillon
- University of Bordeaux, CNRS, INSERM, BIC, US4, UAR 3420, F-33000, Bordeaux, France
| | - Macha Nikolski
- University of Bordeaux, Bordeaux Bioinformatics Center, Bordeaux, France
- University of Bordeaux, CNRS, IBGC UMR 5095, Bordeaux, France
| | - Giovanni Marsicano
- University of Bordeaux, INSERM, Neurocentre Magendie, U1215, F-33000, Bordeaux, France
| | - Xavier Fioramonti
- University of Bordeaux, INRAE, Bordeaux INP, NutriNeuro, UMR 1286, F-33000, Bordeaux, France
| | - Jens C Brüning
- Department of Neuronal Control of Metabolism, Max Planck Institute for Metabolism Research, Cologne, Germany
- Center for Endocrinology, Diabetes and Preventive Medicine (CEDP), University Hospital Cologne, Cologne, Germany
- Excellence Cluster on Cellular Stress Responses in Aging Associated Diseases (CECAD) University of Cologne, Cologne, Germany
- Center for Molecular Medicine Cologne (CMMC), University of Cologne, Cologne, Germany
- National Center for Diabetes Research (DZD), Neuherberg, Germany
| | - Daniela Cota
- University of Bordeaux, INSERM, Neurocentre Magendie, U1215, F-33000, Bordeaux, France
| | - Carmelo Quarta
- University of Bordeaux, INSERM, Neurocentre Magendie, U1215, F-33000, Bordeaux, France.
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Huang Y, Wang A, Zhou W, Li B, Zhang L, Rudolf AM, Jin Z, Hambly C, Wang G, Speakman JR. Maternal dietary fat during lactation shapes single nucleus transcriptomic profile of postnatal offspring hypothalamus in a sexually dimorphic manner in mice. Nat Commun 2024; 15:2382. [PMID: 38493217 PMCID: PMC10944494 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-024-46589-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/28/2023] [Accepted: 03/01/2024] [Indexed: 03/18/2024] Open
Abstract
Maternal overnutrition during lactation predisposes offspring to develop metabolic diseases and exacerbates the relevant syndromes in males more than females in later life. The hypothalamus is a heterogenous brain region that regulates energy balance. Here we combined metabolic trait quantification of mother and offspring mice under low and high fat diet (HFD) feeding during lactation, with single nucleus transcriptomic profiling of their offspring hypothalamus at peak lacation to understand the cellular and molecular alterations in response to maternal dietary pertubation. We found significant expansion in neuronal subpopulations including histaminergic (Hdc), arginine vasopressin/retinoic acid receptor-related orphan receptor β (Avp/Rorb) and agouti-related peptide/neuropeptide Y (AgRP/Npy) in male offspring when their mothers were fed HFD, and increased Npy-astrocyte interactions in offspring responding to maternal overnutrition. Our study provides a comprehensive offspring hypothalamus map at the peak lactation and reveals how the cellular subpopulations respond to maternal dietary fat in a sex-specific manner during development.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yi Huang
- State Key Laboratory of Molecular Developmental Biology, Institute of Genetics and Developmental Biology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100101, China
- Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard, Metabolism Program, Cambridge, MA, 02142, USA
| | - Anyongqi Wang
- State Key Laboratory of Molecular Developmental Biology, Institute of Genetics and Developmental Biology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100101, China
- University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 101408, China
| | - Wenjiang Zhou
- Shanghai Key Laboratory of Metabolic Remodeling and Health, Institute of Metabolism and Integrative Biology, Centre for Evolutionary Biology, Fudan University, Shanghai, 200438, China
| | - Baoguo Li
- State Key Laboratory of Molecular Developmental Biology, Institute of Genetics and Developmental Biology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100101, China
- Tianjian Laboratory of Advanced Biomedical Sciences, Zhengzhou University, Zhengzhou, 450001, China
| | - Linshan Zhang
- Shanghai Key Laboratory of Metabolic Remodeling and Health, Institute of Metabolism and Integrative Biology, Centre for Evolutionary Biology, Fudan University, Shanghai, 200438, China
| | - Agata M Rudolf
- State Key Laboratory of Molecular Developmental Biology, Institute of Genetics and Developmental Biology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100101, China
| | - Zengguang Jin
- Shenzhen Key Laboratory of Metabolic Health, Center for Energy Metabolism and Reproduction, Shenzhen Institutes of Advanced Technology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shenzhen, 518055, China
| | - Catherine Hambly
- School of Biological Sciences, University of Aberdeen, Aberdeen, AB24 3FX, UK
| | - Guanlin Wang
- Shanghai Key Laboratory of Metabolic Remodeling and Health, Institute of Metabolism and Integrative Biology, Centre for Evolutionary Biology, Fudan University, Shanghai, 200438, China.
| | - John R Speakman
- State Key Laboratory of Molecular Developmental Biology, Institute of Genetics and Developmental Biology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100101, China.
- Shenzhen Key Laboratory of Metabolic Health, Center for Energy Metabolism and Reproduction, Shenzhen Institutes of Advanced Technology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shenzhen, 518055, China.
- School of Biological Sciences, University of Aberdeen, Aberdeen, AB24 3FX, UK.
- China Medical University, Shenyang, Liaoning, 110122, China.
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Wheeler EC, Choi P, De Howitt J, Gill S, Watson S, Yu S, Wahl P, Diaz C, Mohr C, Zinski A, Jiang Z, Rossi D, Davis JF. Cannabis Sativa targets mediobasal hypothalamic neurons to stimulate appetite. Sci Rep 2023; 13:22970. [PMID: 38151493 PMCID: PMC10752887 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-023-50112-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/15/2023] [Accepted: 12/15/2023] [Indexed: 12/29/2023] Open
Abstract
The neurobiological mechanisms that regulate the appetite-stimulatory properties of cannabis sativa are unresolved. This work examined the hypothesis that cannabinoid-1 receptor (CB1R) expressing neurons in the mediobasal hypothalamus (MBH) regulate increased appetite following cannabis vapor inhalation. Here we utilized a paradigm where vaporized cannabis plant matter was administered passively to rodents. Initial studies in rats characterized meal patterns and operant responding for palatable food following exposure to air or vapor cannabis. Studies conducted in mice used a combination of in vivo optical imaging, electrophysiology and chemogenetic manipulations to determine the importance of MBH neurons for cannabis-induced feeding behavior. Our data indicate that cannabis vapor increased meal frequency and food seeking behavior without altering locomotor activity. Importantly, we observed augmented MBH activity within distinct neuronal populations when mice anticipated or consumed food. Mechanistic experiments demonstrated that pharmacological activation of CB1R attenuated inhibitory synaptic tone onto hunger promoting Agouti Related Peptide (AgRP) neurons within the MBH. Lastly, chemogenetic inhibition of AgRP neurons attenuated the appetite promoting effects of cannabis vapor. Based on these results, we conclude that MBH neurons contribute to the appetite stimulatory properties of inhaled cannabis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Emma C Wheeler
- Department of Integrative Physiology and Neuroscience, Washington State University, Room 115, Veterinary Biomedical Research Building, Pullman, WA, 99164, USA
- Department of Animal Sciences, Washington State University, Pullman, WA, USA
| | - Pique Choi
- Department of Integrative Physiology and Neuroscience, Washington State University, Room 115, Veterinary Biomedical Research Building, Pullman, WA, 99164, USA
| | - Joanne De Howitt
- Department of Integrative Physiology and Neuroscience, Washington State University, Room 115, Veterinary Biomedical Research Building, Pullman, WA, 99164, USA
| | - Sumeen Gill
- Department of Integrative Physiology and Neuroscience, Washington State University, Room 115, Veterinary Biomedical Research Building, Pullman, WA, 99164, USA
| | - Shane Watson
- Department of Integrative Physiology and Neuroscience, Washington State University, Room 115, Veterinary Biomedical Research Building, Pullman, WA, 99164, USA
| | - Sue Yu
- Department of Integrative Physiology and Neuroscience, Washington State University, Room 115, Veterinary Biomedical Research Building, Pullman, WA, 99164, USA
| | - Peyton Wahl
- Department of Integrative Physiology and Neuroscience, Washington State University, Room 115, Veterinary Biomedical Research Building, Pullman, WA, 99164, USA
| | - Cecilia Diaz
- Department of Integrative Physiology and Neuroscience, Washington State University, Room 115, Veterinary Biomedical Research Building, Pullman, WA, 99164, USA
| | - Claudia Mohr
- Department of Integrative Physiology and Neuroscience, Washington State University, Room 115, Veterinary Biomedical Research Building, Pullman, WA, 99164, USA
| | - Amy Zinski
- Department of Animal Sciences, Washington State University, Pullman, WA, USA
| | - Zhihua Jiang
- Department of Animal Sciences, Washington State University, Pullman, WA, USA
| | - David Rossi
- Department of Integrative Physiology and Neuroscience, Washington State University, Room 115, Veterinary Biomedical Research Building, Pullman, WA, 99164, USA
| | - Jon F Davis
- Department of Integrative Physiology and Neuroscience, Washington State University, Room 115, Veterinary Biomedical Research Building, Pullman, WA, 99164, USA.
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5
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Li L, Xu B, Liu C. Sample enrichment for single-nucleus sequencing using concanavalin A-conjugated magnetic beads. STAR Protoc 2023; 4:102595. [PMID: 37740915 PMCID: PMC10520929 DOI: 10.1016/j.xpro.2023.102595] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/28/2023] [Revised: 08/22/2023] [Accepted: 09/01/2023] [Indexed: 09/25/2023] Open
Abstract
Single-cell/nucleus sequencing has been increasingly used to study specific cell populations. However, cells/nuclei often become diluted during isolation steps and are difficult to reconcentrate through centrifugation. Here, we present a protocol for sample enrichment using concanavalin A-conjugated magnetic beads. We describe steps for dissection, nuclei isolation, and fluorescence-activated cell sorting (FACS). We then detail procedures for nuclei enrichment and library preparation. This protocol enables efficient retrieval and enrichment of cells/nuclei following FACS and integrates into existing workflows of various 10× Genomics applications.
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Affiliation(s)
- Li Li
- The Hypothalamic Research Center, Department of Internal Medicine, UT Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, TX 75390, USA.
| | - Baijie Xu
- The Hypothalamic Research Center, Department of Internal Medicine, UT Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, TX 75390, USA
| | - Chen Liu
- The Hypothalamic Research Center, Department of Internal Medicine, UT Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, TX 75390, USA; Department of Neuroscience, UT Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, TX 75390, USA; Peter O'Donnell Jr. Brain Institute, UT Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, TX 75390, USA.
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Herb BR, Glover HJ, Bhaduri A, Colantuoni C, Bale TL, Siletti K, Hodge R, Lein E, Kriegstein AR, Doege CA, Ament SA. Single-cell genomics reveals region-specific developmental trajectories underlying neuronal diversity in the human hypothalamus. Sci Adv 2023; 9:eadf6251. [PMID: 37939194 PMCID: PMC10631741 DOI: 10.1126/sciadv.adf6251] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/02/2022] [Accepted: 10/24/2023] [Indexed: 11/10/2023]
Abstract
The development and diversity of neuronal subtypes in the human hypothalamus has been insufficiently characterized. To address this, we integrated transcriptomic data from 241,096 cells (126,840 newly generated) in the prenatal and adult human hypothalamus to reveal a temporal trajectory from proliferative stem cell populations to mature hypothalamic cell types. Iterative clustering of the adult neurons identified 108 robust transcriptionally distinct neuronal subtypes representing 10 hypothalamic nuclei. Pseudotime trajectories provided insights into the genes driving formation of these nuclei. Comparisons to single-cell transcriptomic data from the mouse hypothalamus suggested extensive conservation of neuronal subtypes despite certain differences in species-enriched gene expression. The uniqueness of hypothalamic neuronal lineages was examined developmentally by comparing excitatory lineages present in cortex and inhibitory lineages in ganglionic eminence, revealing both distinct and shared drivers of neuronal maturation across the human forebrain. These results provide a comprehensive transcriptomic view of human hypothalamus development through gestation and adulthood at cellular resolution.
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Affiliation(s)
- Brian R. Herb
- Institute for Genome Sciences, University of Maryland School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, USA
- Department of Pharmacology, University of Maryland School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, USA
- UM-MIND, University of Maryland School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, USA
- Kahlert Institute for Addiction Medicine, University of Maryland School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, USA
| | - Hannah J. Glover
- Naomi Berrie Diabetes Center, Columbia Stem Cell Initiative, Department of Pediatrics, Columbia University Irving Medical Center, New York, NY, USA
| | - Aparna Bhaduri
- Department of Biological Chemistry, University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA, USA
| | - Carlo Colantuoni
- Institute for Genome Sciences, University of Maryland School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, USA
- Department of Neurology, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, USA
| | - Tracy L. Bale
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Colorado School of Medicine, Aurora, CO, USA
| | - Kimberly Siletti
- Department of Medical Biochemistry and Biophysics, Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Rebecca Hodge
- Allen Institute for Brain Science, Seattle, WA 98109
| | - Ed Lein
- Allen Institute for Brain Science, Seattle, WA 98109
| | - Arnold R. Kriegstein
- Department of Neurology, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, USA
- The Eli and Edythe Broad Center of Regeneration Medicine and Stem Cell Research, University of California, San Francisco, CA, USA
| | - Claudia A. Doege
- Naomi Berrie Diabetes Center, Columbia Stem Cell Initiative, Department of Pathology and Cell Biology, Columbia University Irving Medical Center, New York, NY, USA
| | - Seth A. Ament
- Institute for Genome Sciences, University of Maryland School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, USA
- UM-MIND, University of Maryland School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, USA
- Kahlert Institute for Addiction Medicine, University of Maryland School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, USA
- Maryland Psychiatric Research Center, Department of Psychiatry, University of Maryland School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, USA
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Liu Z, Xiao T, Liu H. Leptin signaling and its central role in energy homeostasis. Front Neurosci 2023; 17:1238528. [PMID: 38027481 PMCID: PMC10644276 DOI: 10.3389/fnins.2023.1238528] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/11/2023] [Accepted: 10/17/2023] [Indexed: 12/01/2023] Open
Abstract
Leptin plays a critical role in regulating appetite, energy expenditure and body weight, making it a key factor in maintaining a healthy balance. Despite numerous efforts to develop therapeutic interventions targeting leptin signaling, their effectiveness has been limited, underscoring the importance of gaining a better understanding of the mechanisms through which leptin exerts its functions. While the hypothalamus is widely recognized as the primary site responsible for the appetite-suppressing and weight-reducing effects of leptin, other brain regions have also been increasingly investigated for their involvement in mediating leptin's action. In this review, we summarize leptin signaling pathways and the neural networks that mediate the effects of leptin, with a specific emphasis on energy homeostasis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zhaoxun Liu
- Nursing Department, The Third Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, Changsha, Hunan, China
- Department of Emergency, The Third Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, Changsha, Hunan, China
| | - Tao Xiao
- Nursing Department, The Third Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, Changsha, Hunan, China
| | - Hailan Liu
- USDA/ARS Children’s Nutrition Research Center, Department of Pediatrics, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX, United States
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Srour N, Lavoie O, Khouma A, Minbashi Moeini M, Plamondon J, Kinkead R, Michael NJ, Caron A. Electrophysiological Comparison of Definitive Pro-opiomelanocortin Neurons in the Arcuate Nucleus and the Retrochiasmatic Area of Male and Female Mice. Neuroscience 2023; 530:95-107. [PMID: 37619768 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuroscience.2023.08.024] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/18/2023] [Revised: 07/28/2023] [Accepted: 08/16/2023] [Indexed: 08/26/2023]
Abstract
Pro-opiomelanocortin (POMC)-expressing neurons in the arcuate nucleus of the hypothalamus (ARC) are considered a major site of leptin action. Due to increasing evidence that POMC neurons are highly heterogeneous and indications that the conventional molecular tools to study their functions have important limitations, a reassessment of leptin's effects on definitive POMC neurons is needed. POMC neurons are also expressed in the retrochiasmatic area (RCA), where their function is poorly understood. Furthermore, the response of POMC neurons to leptin in females is largely unknown. Therefore, the present study aimed to determine the differences in leptin responsiveness of POMC neurons in the ARC and the RCA using a mouse model allowing adult-inducible fluorescent labeling. We performed whole-cell patch clamp electrophysiology on 154 POMC neurons from male and female mice. We confirmed and extended the model by which leptin depolarizes POMC neurons, in both the ARC and the RCA. Furthermore, we characterized the electrophysiological properties of an underappreciated subpopulation representing ∼10% of hypothalamic POMC neurons that are inhibited by leptin. We also provide evidence that sex does not appear to be a major determinant of basal properties and leptin responsiveness of POMC neurons, but that females are overall less responsive to leptin compared to males.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nader Srour
- Faculty of Pharmacy, Université Laval, Quebec City, QC, Canada; Quebec Heart and Lung Institute, Quebec City, QC, Canada
| | - Olivier Lavoie
- Faculty of Pharmacy, Université Laval, Quebec City, QC, Canada; Quebec Heart and Lung Institute, Quebec City, QC, Canada
| | - Axelle Khouma
- Faculty of Pharmacy, Université Laval, Quebec City, QC, Canada; Quebec Heart and Lung Institute, Quebec City, QC, Canada
| | - Moein Minbashi Moeini
- Faculty of Pharmacy, Université Laval, Quebec City, QC, Canada; Quebec Heart and Lung Institute, Quebec City, QC, Canada
| | | | - Richard Kinkead
- Quebec Heart and Lung Institute, Quebec City, QC, Canada; Faculty of Medicine, Université Laval, Quebec City, QC, Canada
| | - Natalie J Michael
- Faculty of Pharmacy, Université Laval, Quebec City, QC, Canada; Quebec Heart and Lung Institute, Quebec City, QC, Canada.
| | - Alexandre Caron
- Faculty of Pharmacy, Université Laval, Quebec City, QC, Canada; Quebec Heart and Lung Institute, Quebec City, QC, Canada.
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9
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Qi Y, Lee NJ, Ip CK, Enriquez R, Tasan R, Zhang L, Herzog H. Agrp-negative arcuate NPY neurons drive feeding under positive energy balance via altering leptin responsiveness in POMC neurons. Cell Metab 2023:S1550-4131(23)00177-8. [PMID: 37201523 DOI: 10.1016/j.cmet.2023.04.020] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 10.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/06/2021] [Revised: 07/14/2022] [Accepted: 04/26/2023] [Indexed: 05/20/2023]
Abstract
Neuropeptide Y (NPY) in the arcuate nucleus (ARC) is known as one of the most critical regulators of feeding. However, how NPY promotes feeding under obese conditions is unclear. Here, we show that positive energy balance, induced by high-fat diet (HFD) or in genetically obese leptin-receptor-deficient mice, leads to elevated Npy2r expression especially on proopiomelanocortin (POMC) neurons, which also alters leptin responsiveness. Circuit mapping identified a subset of ARC agouti-related peptide (Agrp)-negative NPY neurons that control these Npy2r expressing POMC neurons. Chemogenetic activation of this newly discovered circuitry strongly drives feeding, while optogenetic inhibition reduces feeding. Consistent with that, lack of Npy2r on POMC neurons leads to reduced food intake and fat mass. This suggests that under energy surplus conditions, when ARC NPY levels generally drop, high-affinity NPY2R on POMC neurons is still able to drive food intake and enhance obesity development via NPY released predominantly from Agrp-negative NPY neurons.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yue Qi
- Neuroscience Division, Garvan Institute of Medical Research, St Vincent's Hospital, Darlinghurst, NSW 2010, Australia; St Vincent's Clinical School, UNSW Sydney, Sydney, NSW, Australia
| | - Nicola J Lee
- Neuroscience Division, Garvan Institute of Medical Research, St Vincent's Hospital, Darlinghurst, NSW 2010, Australia; St Vincent's Clinical School, UNSW Sydney, Sydney, NSW, Australia
| | - Chi Kin Ip
- Neuroscience Division, Garvan Institute of Medical Research, St Vincent's Hospital, Darlinghurst, NSW 2010, Australia; St Vincent's Clinical School, UNSW Sydney, Sydney, NSW, Australia
| | - Ronaldo Enriquez
- Neuroscience Division, Garvan Institute of Medical Research, St Vincent's Hospital, Darlinghurst, NSW 2010, Australia
| | - Ramon Tasan
- Department of Pharmacology, Medical University Innsbruck, Innsbruck, Austria
| | - Lei Zhang
- Neuroscience Division, Garvan Institute of Medical Research, St Vincent's Hospital, Darlinghurst, NSW 2010, Australia; St Vincent's Clinical School, UNSW Sydney, Sydney, NSW, Australia.
| | - Herbert Herzog
- Neuroscience Division, Garvan Institute of Medical Research, St Vincent's Hospital, Darlinghurst, NSW 2010, Australia; St Vincent's Clinical School, UNSW Sydney, Sydney, NSW, Australia.
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10
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Lavoie O, Michael NJ, Caron A. A critical update on the leptin-melanocortin system. J Neurochem 2023; 165:467-486. [PMID: 36648204 DOI: 10.1111/jnc.15765] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/06/2022] [Revised: 11/25/2022] [Accepted: 01/09/2023] [Indexed: 01/18/2023]
Abstract
The discovery of leptin in 1994 was an "eureka moment" in the field of neurometabolism that provided new opportunities to better understand the central control of energy balance and glucose metabolism. Rapidly, a prevalent model in the field emerged that pro-opiomelanocortin (POMC) neurons were key in promoting leptin's anorexigenic effects and that the arcuate nucleus of the hypothalamus (ARC) was a key region for the regulation of energy homeostasis. While this model inspired many important discoveries, a growing body of literature indicates that this model is now outdated. In this review, we re-evaluate the hypothalamic leptin-melanocortin model in light of recent advances that directly tackle previous assumptions, with a particular focus on the ARC. We discuss how segregated and heterogeneous these neurons are, and examine how the development of modern approaches allowing spatiotemporal, intersectional, and chemogenetic manipulations of melanocortin neurons has allowed a better definition of the complexity of the leptin-melanocortin system. We review the importance of leptin in regulating glucose homeostasis, but not food intake, through direct actions on ARC POMC neurons. We further highlight how non-POMC, GABAergic neurons mediate leptin's direct effects on energy balance and influence POMC neurons.
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Affiliation(s)
- Olivier Lavoie
- Faculty of Pharmacy, Université Laval, Quebec City, Quebec, Canada.,Quebec Heart and Lung Institute, Quebec City, Quebec, Canada
| | - Natalie Jane Michael
- Faculty of Pharmacy, Université Laval, Quebec City, Quebec, Canada.,Quebec Heart and Lung Institute, Quebec City, Quebec, Canada
| | - Alexandre Caron
- Faculty of Pharmacy, Université Laval, Quebec City, Quebec, Canada.,Quebec Heart and Lung Institute, Quebec City, Quebec, Canada.,Montreal Diabetes Research Center, Montreal, Quebec, Canada
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11
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Benevento M, Hökfelt T, Harkany T. Ontogenetic rules for the molecular diversification of hypothalamic neurons. Nat Rev Neurosci 2022; 23:611-627. [PMID: 35906427 DOI: 10.1038/s41583-022-00615-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 06/14/2022] [Indexed: 11/09/2022]
Abstract
The hypothalamus is an evolutionarily conserved endocrine interface that, among other roles, links central homeostatic control to adaptive bodily responses by releasing hormones and neuropeptides from its many neuronal subtypes. In its preoptic, anterior, tuberal and mammillary subdivisions, a kaleidoscope of magnocellular and parvocellular neuroendocrine command neurons, local-circuit neurons, and neurons that project to extrahypothalamic areas are intermingled in partially overlapping patches of nuclei. Molecular fingerprinting has produced data of unprecedented mass and depth to distinguish and even to predict the synaptic and endocrine competences, connectivity and stimulus selectivity of many neuronal modalities. These new insights support eminent studies from the past century but challenge others on the molecular rules that shape the developmental segregation of hypothalamic neuronal subtypes and their use of morphogenic cues for terminal differentiation. Here, we integrate single-cell RNA sequencing studies with those of mouse genetics and endocrinology to describe key stages of hypothalamus development, including local neurogenesis, the direct terminal differentiation of glutamatergic neurons, transition cascades for GABAergic and GABAergic cell-derived dopamine cells, waves of local neuronal migration, and sequential enrichment in neuropeptides and hormones. We particularly emphasize how transcription factors determine neuronal identity and, consequently, circuit architecture, and whether their deviations triggered by environmental factors and hormones provoke neuroendocrine illnesses.
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Affiliation(s)
- Marco Benevento
- Department of Molecular Neurosciences, Center for Brain Research, Medical University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria
| | - Tomas Hökfelt
- Department of Neuroscience, Biomedicum 7D, Karolinska Institutet, Solna, Sweden
| | - Tibor Harkany
- Department of Molecular Neurosciences, Center for Brain Research, Medical University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria. .,Department of Neuroscience, Biomedicum 7D, Karolinska Institutet, Solna, Sweden.
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12
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Kodani Y, Kawata M, Suga H, Kaneko YS, Nakashima A, Kameyama T, Saito K, Nagasaki H. Characterization of Hypothalamic MCH Neuron Development in a 3D Differentiation System of Mouse Embryonic Stem Cells. eNeuro 2022; 9:ENEURO. [PMID: 35437265 DOI: 10.1523/ENEURO.0442-21.2022] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/18/2021] [Revised: 04/05/2022] [Accepted: 04/11/2022] [Indexed: 01/20/2023] Open
Abstract
Hypothalamic melanin-concentrating hormone (MCH) neurons are important regulators of multiple physiological processes, such as sleep, feeding, and memory. Despite the increasing interest in their neuronal functions, the molecular mechanism underlying MCH neuron development remains poorly understood. We report that a three-dimensional culture of mouse embryonic stem cells (mESCs) can generate hypothalamic-like tissues containing MCH-positive neurons, which reproduce morphologic maturation, neuronal connectivity, and neuropeptide/neurotransmitter phenotype of native MCH neurons. Using this in vitro system, we demonstrate that Hedgehog (Hh) signaling serves to produce major neurochemical subtypes of MCH neurons characterized by the presence or absence of cocaine- and amphetamine-regulated transcript (CART). Without exogenous Hh signals, mESCs initially differentiated into dorsal hypothalamic/prethalamic progenitors and finally into MCH+CART+ neurons through a specific intermediate progenitor state. Conversely, activation of the Hh pathway specified ventral hypothalamic progenitors that generate both MCH+CART− and MCH+CART+ neurons. These results suggest that in vivo MCH neurons may originate from multiple cell lineages that arise through early dorsoventral patterning of the hypothalamus. Additionally, we found that Hh signaling supports the differentiation of mESCs into orexin/hypocretin neurons, a well-defined cell group intermingled with MCH neurons in the lateral hypothalamic area (LHA). The present study highlights and improves the utility of mESC culture in the analysis of the developmental programs of specific hypothalamic cell types.
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13
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Yu X, Yan H, Li W. Recent advances in neuropeptide-related omics and gene editing: Spotlight on NPY and somatostatin and their roles in growth and food intake of fish. Front Endocrinol (Lausanne) 2022; 13:1023842. [PMID: 36267563 PMCID: PMC9576932 DOI: 10.3389/fendo.2022.1023842] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/20/2022] [Accepted: 09/20/2022] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Feeding and growth are two closely related and important physiological processes in living organisms. Studies in mammals have provided us with a series of characterizations of neuropeptides and their receptors as well as their roles in appetite control and growth. The central nervous system, especially the hypothalamus, plays an important role in the regulation of appetite. Based on their role in the regulation of feeding, neuropeptides can be classified as orexigenic peptide and anorexigenic peptide. To date, the regulation mechanism of neuropeptide on feeding and growth has been explored mainly from mammalian models, however, as a lower and diverse vertebrate, little is known in fish regarding the knowledge of regulatory roles of neuropeptides and their receptors. In recent years, the development of omics and gene editing technology has accelerated the speed and depth of research on neuropeptides and their receptors. These powerful techniques and tools allow a more precise and comprehensive perspective to explore the functional mechanisms of neuropeptides. This paper reviews the recent advance of omics and gene editing technologies in neuropeptides and receptors and their progresses in the regulation of feeding and growth of fish. The purpose of this review is to contribute to a comparative understanding of the functional mechanisms of neuropeptides in non-mammalians, especially fish.
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