小柯机器人

美国哈佛大学Michael E. Greenberg、Sinisa Hrvatin等研究人员合作发现调控小鼠迟钝的神经元。这一研究成果于2020年6月11日在线发表在国际学术期刊《自然》上。

Title: Neurons that regulate mouse torpor

Author: Sinisa Hrvatin, Senmiao Sun, Oren F. Wilcox, Hanqi Yao, Aurora J. Lavin-Peter, Marcelo Cicconet, Elena G. Assad, Michaela E. Palmer, Sage Aronson, Alexander S. Banks, Eric C. Griffith, Michael E. Greenberg

Issue&Volume: 2020-06-11

Abstract: The advent of endothermy, which is achieved through the continuous homeostatic regulation of body temperature and metabolism1,2, is a defining feature of mammalian and avian evolution. However, when challenged by food deprivation or harsh environmental conditions, many mammalian species initiate adaptive energy-conserving survival strategies—including torpor and hibernation—during which their body temperature decreases far below its homeostatic set-point3,4,5. How homeothermic mammals initiate and regulate these hypothermic states remains largely unknown. Here we show that entry into mouse torpor, a fasting-induced state with a greatly decreased metabolic rate and a body temperature as low as 20°C6, is regulated by neurons in the medial and lateral preoptic area of the hypothalamus. We show that restimulation of neurons that were activated during a previous bout of torpor is sufficient to initiate the key features of torpor, even in mice that are not calorically restricted. Among these neurons we identify a population of glutamatergic Adcyap1-positive cells, the activity of which accurately determines when mice naturally initiate and exit torpor, and the inhibition of which disrupts the natural process of torpor entry, maintenance and arousal. Taken together, our results reveal a specific neuronal population in the mouse hypothalamus that serves as a core regulator of torpor. This work forms a basis for the future exploration of mechanisms and circuitry that regulate extreme hypothermic and hypometabolic states, and enables genetic access to monitor, initiate, manipulate and study these ancient adaptations of homeotherm biology.

DOI: 10.1038/s41586-020-2387-5

Source: https://www.nature.com/articles/s41586-020-2387-5

Nature：《自然》，创刊于1869年。隶属于施普林格·自然出版集团，最新IF：69.504
官方网址：http://www.nature.com/
投稿链接：http://www.nature.com/authors/submit_manuscript.html