Innervating the gut

Abstract

Metabolism Sensory neurons that detect signals in the gut and relay them to the brain are an important feature of regulating food intake and metabolic responses to food. When such gut-brain signaling is impaired, overeating, weight gain, and metabolic dysfunction can occur. Borgmann et al. investigated feeding and glucose regulation by different sensory neurons that innervate the gut of mice. Their findings enabled reconstruction of peripheral and central sensory neuron projections and revealed differential innervation of the mucosal and muscular layers of the intestine and different regions of the gastrointestinal tract, likely reflecting distinct responses to specific signals in the gut. These subsets of neurons may provide targets for controlling metabolic diseases in the future. Cell Metab. 10.1016/j.cmet.2021.05.002 (2021).