Publication Date

7-24-2024

Journal

Journal of Neuroscience

DOI

10.1523/JNEUROSCI.2192-23.2024

PMID

38897723

PMCID

PMC11270527

PubMedCentral® Posted Date

6-19-2024

PubMedCentral® Full Text Version

Post-print

Published Open-Access

yes

Keywords

Animals, Male, Mice, Habenula, Feeding Behavior, Light, Dorsal Raphe Nucleus, Humans, Mice, Inbred C57BL, Eating, Neural Pathways, Rats, Serotonergic Neurons, Nerve Net, Darkness, 5-HT, feeding, LHb, light

Abstract

Light plays an essential role in a variety of physiological processes, including vision, mood, and glucose homeostasis. However, the intricate relationship between light and an animal's feeding behavior has remained elusive. Here, we found that light exposure suppresses food intake, whereas darkness amplifies it in male mice. Interestingly, this phenomenon extends its reach to diurnal male Nile grass rats and healthy humans. We further show that lateral habenula (LHb) neurons in mice respond to light exposure, which in turn activates 5-HT neurons in the dorsal Raphe nucleus (DRN). Activation of the LHb→5-HTDRN circuit in mice blunts darkness-induced hyperphagia, while inhibition of the circuit prevents light-induced anorexia. Together, we discovered a light-responsive neural circuit that relays the environmental light signals to regulate feeding behavior in mice.

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