title: Regulation of body fat in Caenorhabditis elegans.
abstract: Over the past decade, studies conducted in Caenorhabditis elegans have helped to uncover the ancient and complex origins of body fat regulation. This review highlights the powerful combination of genetics, pharmacology, and biochemistry used to study energy balance and the regulation of cellular fat metabolism in C. elegans. The complete wiring diagram of the C. elegans nervous system has been exploited to understand how the sensory nervous system regulates body fat and how food perception is coupled with the production of energy via fat metabolism. As a model organism, C. elegans also offers a unique opportunity to discover neuroendocrine factors that mediate direct communication between the nervous system and the metabolic tissues. The coming years are expected to reveal a wealth of information on the neuroendocrine control of body fat in C. elegans.
authors.affiliation: Department of Chemical Physiology and Dorris Neuroscience Center, The Scripps Research Institute (TSRI), La Jolla, California 92037; email: supriya@scripps.edu.
authors.forename: Supriya
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Srinivasan
mesh_terms: D000273:Adipose Tissue / Q000502:physiology*; D000818:Animals; D017173:Caenorhabditis elegans / Q000502:physiology*; D004734:Energy Metabolism / Q000502:physiology*; D050356:Lipid Metabolism / Q000502:physiology; D009424:Nervous System Physiological Phenomena; D009490:Neurosecretory Systems / Q000502:physiology
keywords: energy balance; lipid regulatory network; neuroendocrine