TY - JOUR
T1 - Enteric neurons increase maternal food intake during reproduction
AU - Hadjieconomou, Dafni
AU - King, George
AU - Gaspar, Pedro
AU - Mineo, Alessandro
AU - Blackie, Laura
AU - Ameku, Tomotsune
AU - Studd, Chris
AU - de Mendoza, Alex
AU - Diao, Fengqiu
AU - White, Benjamin H.
AU - Brown, André E.X.
AU - Plaçais, Pierre Yves
AU - Préat, Thomas
AU - Miguel-Aliaga, Irene
PY - 2020/11/19
Y1 - 2020/11/19
N2 - Reproduction induces increased food intake across females of many animal species1–4, providing a physiologically relevant paradigm for the exploration of appetite regulation. Here, by examining the diversity of enteric neurons in Drosophila melanogaster, we identify a key role for gut-innervating neurons with sex- and reproductive state-specific activity in sustaining the increased food intake of mothers during reproduction. Steroid and enteroendocrine hormones functionally remodel these neurons, which leads to the release of their neuropeptide onto the muscles of the crop—a stomach-like organ—after mating. Neuropeptide release changes the dynamics of crop enlargement, resulting in increased food intake, and preventing the post-mating remodelling of enteric neurons reduces both reproductive hyperphagia and reproductive fitness. The plasticity of enteric neurons is therefore key to reproductive success. Our findings provide a mechanism to attain the positive energy balance that sustains gestation, dysregulation of which could contribute to infertility or weight gain.
AB - Reproduction induces increased food intake across females of many animal species1–4, providing a physiologically relevant paradigm for the exploration of appetite regulation. Here, by examining the diversity of enteric neurons in Drosophila melanogaster, we identify a key role for gut-innervating neurons with sex- and reproductive state-specific activity in sustaining the increased food intake of mothers during reproduction. Steroid and enteroendocrine hormones functionally remodel these neurons, which leads to the release of their neuropeptide onto the muscles of the crop—a stomach-like organ—after mating. Neuropeptide release changes the dynamics of crop enlargement, resulting in increased food intake, and preventing the post-mating remodelling of enteric neurons reduces both reproductive hyperphagia and reproductive fitness. The plasticity of enteric neurons is therefore key to reproductive success. Our findings provide a mechanism to attain the positive energy balance that sustains gestation, dysregulation of which could contribute to infertility or weight gain.
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=85094196855&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.1038/s41586-020-2866-8
DO - 10.1038/s41586-020-2866-8
M3 - Article
C2 - 33116314
AN - SCOPUS:85094196855
SN - 0028-0836
VL - 587
SP - 455
EP - 459
JO - Nature
JF - Nature
IS - 7834
ER -