INVESTIGATING SOMATOSTATIN NEURONS IN MOUSE TUBERAL NUCLEUS IN FEEDING REGULATION

Abstract

Food intake is critical for the survival and is tightly regulated by mammalian brains, also its dysregulation leads to eating disorders. In my thesis, I investigated the hypothalamic tuberal nucleus somatostatin (TNSST) neuronal population in feeding regulation, particularly in high fat diet (HFD)-related mechanisms. Exploration of neuronal dynamics of TNSST by in vivo imaging together with genetic and viral manipulations on TNSST neurons revealed a unique HFD-specific function. Further, mapping brain-wide connections of TNSST neurons suggested an integrative role. The findings in this study highlight how TNSST neurons may integrate complex information to regulate feeding behaviour, particularly HFD-related mechanisms.