A leptin-responsive hypothalamic circuit inputs to the circadian feeding network.

ABSTRACT: Salient cues, such as the rising sun or the availability of food, play a crucial role in entraining biological clocks, allowing for effective behavioral adaptation and ultimately, survival. While the light-dependent entrainment of the central circadian pacemaker (suprachiasmatic nucleus, SCN) is relatively well defined, the molecular and neural mechanisms underlying entrainment associated with food availability remains elusive. Using single nucleus RNA sequencing during scheduled feeding (SF), we identified a leptin receptor (LepR) expressing neuron population in the dorsomedial hypothalamus (DMH) that upregulates circadian entrainment genes and exhibits rhythmic calcium activity prior to an anticipated meal. We found that disrupting DMH^LepR neuron activity had a profound impact

SUBMITTER: Tang Q 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC9980144 | biostudies-literature | 2023 Feb

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature