Vagal sensory neurons encode internal protein status to guide eating.

ABSTRACT: Animals adaptively adjust nutrient intake based on internal physiological need. Although protein deficiency elicits robust behavioral and endocrine responses, the sensory mechanisms that detect dietary protein and guide selective feeding remain incompletely understood. Here, we identify a population of vagal sensory neurons that respond selectively to intragastric protein and are required for adaptive regulation of protein intake. Using activity-dependent genetic labeling and in vivo calcium imaging, we show that these neurons are activated by dietary protein, exhibit enhanced responses in protein-restricted states, and are distinct from previously characterized calorie-sensing populations. Selective ablation of protein-responsive vagal sensory neurons disrupts the ability to adapt eating

SUBMITTER: Yang M 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC12830305 | biostudies-literature | 2025 Dec

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature