A forebrain neural substrate for behavioral thermoregulation.

Thermoregulatory behavior is a basic motivated behavior for body temperature homeostasis. Despite its fundamental importance, a forebrain region or defined neural population required for this process has yet to be established. Here, we show that Vgat-expressing neurons in the lateral hypothalamus (LH neurons) are required for diverse thermoregulatory behaviors.

A neural circuit mechanism for mechanosensory feedback control of ingestion.

Mechanosensory feedback from the digestive tract to the brain is critical for limiting excessive food and water intake, but the underlying gut-brain communication pathways and mechanisms remain poorly understood. Here we show that, in mice, neurons in the parabrachial nucleus that express the prodynorphin gene (hereafter, PB neurons) monitor the intake of both fluids and solids, using mechanosensory signals that arise from the upper digestive tract. Most individual PB neurons are activated by ingestion as well as the stimulation of the mouth and stomach, which indicates the representation of integrated sensory signals across distinct parts of the digestive tract.