title: Coupled Sensing of Hunger and Thirst Signals Balances Sugar and Water Consumption.
abstract: Hunger and thirst are ancient homeostatic drives for food and water consumption. Although molecular and neural mechanisms underlying these drives are currently being uncovered, less is known about how hunger and thirst interact. Here, we use molecular genetic, behavioral, and anatomical studies in Drosophila to identify four neurons that modulate food and water consumption. Activation of these neurons promotes sugar consumption and restricts water consumption, whereas inactivation promotes water consumption and restricts sugar consumption. By calcium imaging studies, we show that these neurons are directly regulated by a hormone signal of nutrient levels and by osmolality. Finally, we identify a hormone receptor and an osmolality-sensitive ion channel that underlie this regulation. Thus, a small population of neurons senses internal signals of nutrient and water availability to balance sugar and water consumption. Our results suggest an elegant mechanism by which interoceptive neurons oppositely regulate homeostatic drives to eat and drink.
authors.affiliation: Department of Molecular and Cell Biology and Helen Wills Neuroscience Institute, University of California, Berkeley, Berkeley, CA 94720, USA.
authors.forename: Nicholas
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Jourjine
authors.affiliation: Department of Molecular and Cell Biology and Helen Wills Neuroscience Institute, University of California, Berkeley, Berkeley, CA 94720, USA.
authors.forename: Brendan C
authors.initials: BC
authors.lastname: Mullaney
authors.affiliation: Department of Molecular and Cell Biology and Helen Wills Neuroscience Institute, University of California, Berkeley, Berkeley, CA 94720, USA.
authors.forename: Kevin
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Mann
authors.affiliation: Department of Molecular and Cell Biology and Helen Wills Neuroscience Institute, University of California, Berkeley, Berkeley, CA 94720, USA. Electronic address: kscott@berkeley.edu.
authors.forename: Kristin
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Scott
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D029721:Drosophila Proteins / Q000378:metabolism; D004331:Drosophila melanogaster; D006706:Homeostasis; D006815:Hunger; D009474:Neurons / Q000378:metabolism*; D009994:Osmolar Concentration; D018027:Receptors, Glucagon / Q000378:metabolism; D015398:Signal Transduction; D013395:Sucrose / Q000378:metabolism; D013894:Thirst; D050051:Transient Receptor Potential Channels / Q000378:metabolism
chemical_list: C533337:AKHR protein, Drosophila; D029721:Drosophila Proteins; C476010:Nan protein, Drosophila; D018027:Receptors, Glucagon; D050051:Transient Receptor Potential Channels; D013395:Sucrose