KCNB1-Leptin receptor complexes couple electric and endocrine function in the melanocortin neurons of the hypothalamus.

The neurons of the melanocortin system regulate feeding and energy homeostasis through a combination of electrical and endocrine mechanisms. However, the molecular basis for this functional heterogeneity is poorly understood. Here, a voltage-gated potassium (Kv) channel named KCNB1 (alias Kv2.

Isolation of Targeted Hypothalamic Neurons for Studies of Hormonal, Metabolic, and Electrical Regulation.

The hypothalamus regulates fundamental metabolic processes by controlling functions as varied as food intake, body temperature, and hormone release. As the functions of the hypothalamus are controlled by specific subsets of neuronal populations, the ability to isolate them provides a major tool for studying metabolic mechanisms. In this regard, the neuronal complexity of the hypothalamus poses exceptional challenges.