biostudies-literatureWang YNCCIH NIH HHSNIDDK NIH HHSHoward Hughes Medical InstituteNINDS NIH HHS569-574https://www.ebi.ac.uk/biostudies/studies/S-EPMC9477745biostudies-literatureUnknown609(7927)Adipose tissues communicate with the central nervous system to maintain whole-body energy homeostasis. The mainstream view is that circulating hormones secreted by the fat convey the metabolic state to the brain, which integrates peripheral information and regulates adipocyte function through noradrenergic sympathetic output¹. Moreover, somatosensory neurons of the dorsal root ganglia innervate adipose tissue². However, the lack of genetic tools to selectively target these neurons has limited understanding of their physiological importance. Here we developed viral, genetic and imaging strategies to manipulate sensory nerves in an organ-specific manner in mice. This enabled us to visualize the entire axonal projection of dorsal root ganglia from the soma to subcutaneouNatureThe role of somatosensory innervation of adipose tissues.PMC9477745K01 DK114165R01 AT012051R35 NS105067DP2 DK128800Servin-Vences MRLi VLYang DMoya-Garzon MDLeung VHWang KPatapoutian AYe LLong JZZhang YNudell VSWang YLoud MfalseThe role of somatosensory innervation of adipose tissues.Adipose tissues communicate with the central nervous system to maintain whole-body energy homeostasis. The mainstream view is that circulating hormones secreted by the fat convey the metabolic state to the brain, which integrates peripheral information and regulates adipocyte function through noradrenergic sympathetic output¹. Moreover, somatosensory neurons of the dorsal root ganglia innervate adipose tissue². However, the lack of genetic tools to selectively target these neurons has limited understanding of their physiological importance. Here we developed viral, genetic and imaging strategies to manipulate sensory nerves in an organ-specific manner in mice. This enabled us to visualize the entire axonal projection of dorsal root ganglia from the soma to subcutaneou2022-01-01T00:00:00Z2022 Sep2025-04-18T15:35:16.504Z2025-02-19T00:48:22.343ZS-EPMC94777453604528810.1038/s41586-022-05137-7