Identification of a neurocircuit underlying regulation of feeding by stress-related emotional responses

Authors: XU, YUANZHONG - University Of Texas Health Science Center; LU, YUNGANG - University Of Texas Health Science Center; CASSIDY, RYAN - University Of Texas Health Science Center; MANGIERI, LEANDRA - University Of Texas Health Science Center; ZHU, CANJUN - University Of Texas Health Science Center; HUANG, XUGEN - University Of Texas Health Science Center; JIANG, ZHIYING - University Of Texas Health Science Center; JUSTICE, NICHOLAS - University Of Texas Health Science Center; XU, YONG - Children'S Nutrition Research Center (CNRC); ARENKIEL, BENJAMIN - Baylor College Of Medicine; TONG, QINGCHUN - University Of Texas Health Science Center

Submitted to: Nature Communications
Publication Type: Peer Reviewed Journal
Publication Acceptance Date: 7/13/2019
Publication Date: 8/1/2019
Citation: Xu, Y., Lu, Y., Cassidy, R.M., Mangieri, L.R., Zhu, C., Huang, X., Jiang, Z., Justice, N.J., Xu, Y., Arenkiel, B.R., Tong, Q. 2019. Identification of a neurocircuit underlying regulation of feeding by stress-related emotional responses. Nature Communications. 10(1):3446 https://doi.org/10.1038/s41467-019-11399-z
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/s41467-019-11399-z

Interpretive Summary: In animals, eating behavior is essential for survival but can be regulated by stress and emotions. The issue is that the brain mechanisms for the regulation of these behaviors remain unclear. Here we discovered a novel neural circuit within the brain that increases stress-related responses and reduces feeding. These findings may provide researchers with the neurobiological basis for the link between eating and stress-related disorders.

Technical Abstract: Feeding is known to be profoundly affected by stress-related emotional states and eating disorders are comorbid with psychiatric symptoms and altered emotional responses. The neural basis underlying feeding regulation by stress-related emotional changes is poorly understood. Here, we identify a novel projection from the paraventricular hypothalamus (PVH) to the ventral lateral septum (LSv) that shows a scalable regulation on feeding and behavioral changes related to emotion. Weak photostimulation of glutamatergic PVH->LSv terminals elicits stress-related self-grooming and strong photostimulation causes fear-related escape jumping associated with respective weak and strong inhibition on feeding. In contrast, inhibition of glutamatergic inputs to LSv increases feeding with signs of reduced anxiety. LSv-projecting neurons are concentrated in rostral PVH. LSv and LSv-projecting PVH neurons are activated by stressors in vivo, whereas feeding bouts were associated with reduced activity of these neurons. Thus, PVH->LSv neurotransmission underlies dynamic feeding by orchestrating emotional states, providing a novel neural circuit substrate underlying comorbidity between eating abnormalities and psychiatric disorders.