Abstract
SummaryA balanced diet of macronutrients is critical for animal health. A lack of specific elements can have profound effects on behavior, reproduction, and lifespan. Here, we used Drosophila to understand how the brain responds to carbohydrate deprivation. We found that serine protease homologs (SPHs) are enriched among genes that are transcriptionally regulated in flies deprived of carbohydrates. Stimulation of neurons expressing one of these SPHs, Scarface (Scaf), or overexpression of scaf positively regulates feeding on nutritious sugars, whereas inhibition of these neurons or knockdown of scaf reduces feeding. This modulation of food intake occurs only in sated flies while hunger-induced feeding is unaffected. Furthermore, scaf expression correlates with the presence of sugar in the food. As Scaf and Scaf neurons promote feeding independent of the hunger state, and the levels of scaf are positively regulated by the presence of sugar, we conclude that scaf mediates the hedonic control of feeding.
Highlights
Nutrient homeostasis is a basic biological process that involves adjusting feeding behavior and post-digestive physiology to balance food intake with energy expenditure
We studied the role of neurons that express one of these serine protease homologs (SPHs), Scarface (Scaf), in the modulation of fly behavior
We demonstrate that scaf as well as Scaf neurons promote feeding independent of the hunger state
Summary
Nutrient homeostasis is a basic biological process that involves adjusting feeding behavior and post-digestive physiology to balance food intake with energy expenditure. The CNS maintains homeostasis by coordinating food intake and utilization in response to internal and external cues using different neuronal circuits and peptide hormones (Morton et al, 2006; Peters et al, 2007; Porte et al, 2005). Disruption of this homeostatic balance can lead to a number of diet-related disorders such as obesity and type 2 diabetes. Regulation of gene expression is an important mechanism that helps maintaining nutrient homeostasis in the CNS (Desvergne et al, 2006). Mice fed a high-fat diet modulate expression of genes controlling dopamine availability in the hypothalamus (Lee et al, 2010), while
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