美国杜克大学肠脑神经生物学实验室Diego V. Bohórquez团队发现人们对糖而不是甜味剂的偏好取决于肠道感知细胞。2022年1月13日出版的《自然—神经科学》杂志发表了这一最新研究成果。

他们发现胆囊收缩素 (CCK) 标记的十二指肠神经足细胞利用甜味受体和钠葡萄糖转运蛋白将腔内刺激从甜味剂和糖类分化并转导到迷走神经。这两种刺激类型引发了不同的神经通路：甜味剂刺激嘌呤能神经传递，而糖刺激谷氨酸能神经传递。为了探究这些细胞对行为的贡献，他们设计柔性光纤来开发肠腔的光遗传学。他们表明，小鼠对糖而不是甜味剂的偏好取决于神经足细胞的谷氨酸能信号。通过快速识别营养刺激的精确特性，肠道神经足细胞可作为指导营养选择的切入点。

研究人员表示，在肠道感觉信号的引导下，人类和动物更喜欢营养糖而不是无热量的甜味剂，但肠道如何引导这种偏好仍然未知。在肠道中，神经足细胞与迷走神经元发生突触，在几秒钟内将糖刺激传递到大脑。

附：英文原文

Title: The preference for sugar over sweetener depends on a gut sensor cell

Author: Buchanan, Kelly L., Rupprecht, Laura E., Kaelberer, M. Maya, Sahasrabudhe, Atharva, Klein, Marguerita E., Villalobos, Jorge A., Liu, Winston W., Yang, Annabelle, Gelman, Justin, Park, Seongjun, Anikeeva, Polina, Bohrquez, Diego V.

Issue&Volume: 2022-01-13

Abstract: Guided by gut sensory cues, humans and animals prefer nutritive sugars over non-caloric sweeteners, but how the gut steers such preferences remains unknown. In the intestine, neuropod cells synapse with vagal neurons to convey sugar stimuli to the brain within seconds. Here, we found that cholecystokinin (CCK)-labeled duodenal neuropod cells differentiate and transduce luminal stimuli from sweeteners and sugars to the vagus nerve using sweet taste receptors and sodium glucose transporters. The two stimulus types elicited distinct neural pathways: while sweetener stimulated purinergic neurotransmission, sugar stimulated glutamatergic neurotransmission. To probe the contribution of these cells to behavior, we developed optogenetics for the gut lumen by engineering a flexible fiberoptic. We showed that preference for sugar over sweetener in mice depends on neuropod cell glutamatergic signaling. By swiftly discerning the precise identity of nutrient stimuli, gut neuropod cells serve as the entry point to guide nutritive choices. Buchanan, Rupprecht, Kaelberer and colleagues show that the preference for sugar over sweetener in mice depends on gut neuropod cells. Akin to other sensor cells, neuropod cells swiftly communicate the precise identity of stimuli to drive food choices.

DOI: 10.1038/s41593-021-00982-7

Source: https://www.nature.com/articles/s41593-021-00982-7