Transcriptomics reveals amygdala neuron regulation by fasting and ghrelin thereby promoting feeding

Authors: Christian Peters, Songwei He, Federica Fermani, Hansol Lim, Wenyu Ding, Christian Mayer, Rüdiger Klein

Published: 2023-05-24

DOI: 10.1126/sciadv.adf6521

Source: Full article


Abstract

The central amygdala (CeA) consists of numerous genetically defined inhibitory neurons that control defensive and appetitive behaviors including feeding. Transcriptomic signatures of cell types and their links to function remain poorly understood. Using single-nucleus RNA sequencing, we describe nine CeA cell clusters, of which four are mostly associated with appetitive and two with aversive behaviors. To analyze the activation mechanism of appetitive CeA neurons, we characterized serotonin receptor 2a (Htr2a)–expressing neurons (CeA