Violet-light suppression of thermogenesis by opsin 5 hypothalamic neurons.

ABSTRACT: The opsin family of G-protein-coupled receptors are used as light detectors in animals. Opsin 5 (also known as neuropsin or OPN5) is a highly conserved opsin that is sensitive to visible violet light^1,2. In mice, OPN5 is a known photoreceptor in the retina³ and skin⁴ but is also expressed in the hypothalamic preoptic area (POA)⁵. Here we describe a light-sensing pathway in which POA neurons that express Opn5 regulate thermogenesis in brown adipose tissue (BAT). We show that Opn5 is expressed in glutamatergic warm-sensing POA neurons that receive synaptic input from several thermoregulatory nuclei. We further show that Opn5 POA neurons project to BAT and decrease its activity under chemogenetic stimulation. Opn5-null mice show overactive BAT, incr

SUBMITTER: Zhang KX 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC8130195 | biostudies-literature | 2020 Sep

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature