美国加州大学旧金山分校Zachary A. Knight组的最新研究，鉴定了控制进食的迷走神经感觉神经元。相关论文发表在2019年11月14日出版的《细胞》上。

研究人员使用一种靶向特异的单细胞RNA测序的方法，描绘了胃肠道迷走神经细胞类型图谱。研究人员发现，特异的分子标记物可以识别具有独特神经分布模式、感觉末梢和功能的迷走神经元。研究人员意外发现，食物摄入对肠道机械感受器的刺激最敏感，而营养激活的粘膜传入神经则没有作用。外围操纵与中央记录相结合显示，肠道机械感受器（而非其他细胞类型）有效且持久地抑制下丘脑中促进饥饿的AgRP神经元。这些发现，确定了肠机械感受器在调节食物摄取中的关键作用。

据介绍，能量稳态需要精确测量摄入食物的数量和质量。迷走神经支配着肠道，可以检测到各种内感受性信号，但是关键的感觉神经元的特性以及调节食物摄入的相应信号仍然未知。

附：英文原文

Title: Genetic Identification of Vagal Sensory Neurons That Control Feeding

Author: Ling Bai, Sheyda Mesgarzadeh, Karthik S. Ramesh, Erica L. Huey, Yin Liu, Lindsay A. Gray, Tara J. Aitken, Yiming Chen, Lisa R. Beutler, Jamie S. Ahn, Linda Madisen, Hongkui Zeng, Mark A. Krasnow, Zachary A. Knight

Issue&Volume: 2019/11/14

Abstract: Energy homeostasis requires precise measurement of the quantity and quality of ingestedfood. The vagus nerve innervates the gut and can detect diverse interoceptive cues,but the identity of the key sensory neurons and corresponding signals that regulatefood intake remains unknown. Here, we use an approach for target-specific, single-cellRNA sequencing to generate a map of the vagal cell types that innervate the gastrointestinaltract. We show that unique molecular markers identify vagal neurons with distinctinnervation patterns, sensory endings, and function. Surprisingly, we find that foodintake is most sensitive to stimulation of mechanoreceptors in the intestine, whereasnutrient-activated mucosal afferents have no effect. Peripheral manipulations combinedwith central recordings reveal that intestinal mechanoreceptors, but not other celltypes, potently and durably inhibit hunger-promoting AgRP neurons in the hypothalamus.These findings identify a key role for intestinal mechanoreceptors in the regulationof feeding.

DOI: 10.1016/j.cell.2019.10.031

Source: https://www.cell.com/cell/fulltext/S0092-8674(19)31181-X