How Spinal Afferent Neurons Control Appetite and Thirst . This project aims to provide major new insights about how the gut communicates with the brain, to regulate how much food and fluids have been consumed. The proposal expects to generate new knowledge about gut-brain communication and how one of the major sensory nerves from the gut relays information about thirst and appetite sensations. The project addresses fundamental questions that rely on techniques only recently developed in our labo ....How Spinal Afferent Neurons Control Appetite and Thirst . This project aims to provide major new insights about how the gut communicates with the brain, to regulate how much food and fluids have been consumed. The proposal expects to generate new knowledge about gut-brain communication and how one of the major sensory nerves from the gut relays information about thirst and appetite sensations. The project addresses fundamental questions that rely on techniques only recently developed in our laboratory. We expect to demonstrate a major new sensory nerve pathway from the gut to the brain that plays a major role in appetite and thirst sensations. We will learn how gut to brain communication underlies the feeling of "fullness" when people consume food and drink.
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Huntingtin-associated protein 1 controls cell communication. The purpose of this study is to identify the mechanisms by which a novel regulator of cell communication which we have identified is able to control the release of chemical signals from a cell. This project will provide critical insight into a cellular pathway that underlies hormone secretion, neurotransmission and higher brain functions.