Researchers at the University of Tokyo have found that fruit flies that lack a certain neuropeptide are prone to overeating and obesity, which sheds new light on the role of neuropeptides in regulating eating behavior.
We’ve all experienced hunger and fullness at one time or another, but few of us have thought about the processes behind these feelings. While on the surface the logical chain of communication may seem incredibly simple: “hungry stomach – hunger, full stomach – satiety”, in fact, the whole process of regulating these two emotions and their communication is many times more complex. Scientists say neuropeptides reign supreme behind the scenes of our senses. These tiny proteins regulate our feeding behaviors and are found in many organisms, from mice to fruit flies. But what about simpler creatures like jellyfish?
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A group of researchers from the University of Tokyo recently studied this topic. Although jellyfish do not have a central nervous system like mammals, they have a surprisingly complex behavioral repertoire. However, feeding behavior has never been fully studied.
The researchers focused on Cladonema, a small jellyfish species with forked tentacles that adjusts its feeding behavior to hunger levels. When they compared the gene expression profiles of starving and fed jellyfish, they found five neuropeptides that reduced nutritional levels in starving jellyfish. In particular, a neuropeptide called GLWamide acts as a satiety signal by inhibiting tentacle shortening.
To test whether similar neuropeptides exist in other organisms, the researchers also analyzed fruit flies and found that their feeding behavior was regulated by the neuropeptide myoinhibitory peptide (MIP). Interestingly, fruit flies lacking MIP tend to overeat and become obese. Since MIP and GLWamide are structurally similar, they are likely related through evolution.
To test this theory, the researchers exchanged neuropeptides between jellyfish and fruit flies. The results were striking: MIP, like GLWamide, suppressed the feeding behavior of jellyfish, and GLWamide stopped abnormal overeating behaviors in fruit flies. This demonstrates that the GLWamide/MIP system is functionally conserved through evolution, emphasizing the deep evolutionary origin of satiety signaling in a wide variety of organisms.
“We hope that our comparative approach will inspire focused research into the role of molecules, neurons, and circuits in regulating behavior in a broader evolutionary context,” said senior author Hiromu Tanimoto, professor of neuroscience in Tokyo. The next time you feel hungry or full, try to imagine that all these processes are due to millions of years of evolution of tiny proteins in your body.
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Source: Focus
Ashley Fitzgerald is an accomplished journalist in the field of technology. She currently works as a writer at 24 news breaker. With a deep understanding of the latest technology developments, Ashley’s writing provides readers with insightful analysis and unique perspectives on the industry.