Topic: metabolic homeostasis

Parkinson's disease (PD), characterized by the absence of dopamine in the striatum[1], is caused by the death of the substantia nigra pars compacta dopamine (SNcDA) neurons in the mid-brain. The cause of this cell loss is attributed to irreparable damage due to a dysregulation cascade originating from excess cytosolic dopamine[2]. However, it is unresolved if dopamine dysregulation in SNcDA neurons themselves is the cause of PD or if it is a mere symptom. Here, we introduce a theory of specialized non-causal action potentials that serve metabolic homeostasis called `metabolic spikes' which can

Gut-derived signals regulate metabolism, appetite, and behaviors important for mental health. We have performed a large-scale multidimensional screen to identify gut hormones and nutrient-sensing mechanisms in the intestine that regulate metabolism and behavior in the fruit fly Drosophila. We identified several gut hormones that affect fecundity, stress responses, metabolism, feeding, and sleep behaviors, many of which seem to act sex-specifically. We show that in response to nutrient intake, the enteroendocrine cells (EECs) of the adult Drosophila midgut release hormones that act via inter-or

Puberty is a brain-driven phenomenon, which is under the control of sophisticated regulatory networks that integrate a large number of endogenous and environmental signals, including metabolic and nutritional cues. Puberty onset is tightly bound to the state of body energy reserves, and deregulation of energy/metabolic homeostasis is often associated with alterations in the timing of puberty. However, despite recent progress in the field, our knowledge of the specific molecular mechanisms and pathways whereby our brain decode metabolic information to modulate puberty onset remains fragmentary

To function properly, the nervous system consumes vast amounts of energy, which is mostly provided by carbohydrate metabolism. Neurons are very sensitive to changes in the extracellular fluid surrounding them, which necessitated shielding of the nervous system from fluctuating solute concentrations in circulation. This is achieved by the blood-brain barrier (BBB) that prevents paracellular diffusion of solutes into the nervous system. This in turn also means that all nutrients that are needed e.g. for sufficient energy supply need to be transported over the BBB. We use Drosophila as a model sy