KAIST 생명과학과동창회
  • News & Events
  • News

News

Gut hormone triggers craving for more proteins

Gut hormone triggers craving for more proteins
Overview of the microbiome–gut–brain axis. CNMa is upregulated by Atf4 and Mitf (and possibly other unknown factors) during the deprivation of essential amino acids, and this acts on CNMaR-expressing neurons to stimulate the compensatory appetite for essential amino acids. Credit: The Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology (KAIST)

A new study led by KAIST researchers using fruit flies reveals how protein deficiency in the diet triggers cross talk between the gut and brain to induce a desire to eat foods rich in proteins or essential amino acids. This finding reported in the May 5 issue of Nature can lead to a better understanding of malnutrition in humans.

"All organisms require a balanced intake of carbohydrates, proteins, and fats for their well being," explained KAIST neuroscientist and professor Greg Seong-Bae Suh. "Taking in sufficient calories alone won't do the job, as it can still lead to severe forms of malnutrition including kwashiorkor, if the diet does not include enough proteins," he added.

Scientists already knew that inadequate  intake in organisms causes a preferential choice of foods rich in proteins or essential amino acids but they didn't know precisely how this happens. A group of researchers led by Professor Suh at KAIST and Professor Won-Jae Lee at Seoul National University (SNU) investigated this process in flies by examining the effects of different genes on food preference following protein deprivation.

The group found that protein deprivation triggered the release of a gut hormone called neuropeptide CNMamide (CNMa) from a specific population of enterocytes—the intestine lining cells. Until now, scientists have known that enterocytes release digestive enzymes into the intestine to help digest and absorb nutrients in the gut. "Our study showed that enterocytes have a more complex role than we previously thought," said Professor Suh.

Enterocytes respond to protein deprivation by releasing CNMa that conveys the nutrient status in the gut to the CNMa receptors on nerve cells in the brain. This then triggers a desire to eat foods containing .

Interestingly, the KAIST-SNU team also found that the microbiome -Acetobacterbacteria—present in the gut produces amino acids that can compensate for mild protein deficit in the diet. This basal level of amino acids provided by the microbiome modifies CNMa release and tempers the flies' compensatory desire to ingest more proteins.

The research team was able to further clarify two signaling pathways that respond to protein loss from the diet and ultimately produce the CNMa hormone in these specific enterocytes.

The team said that further studies are still needed to understand how CNMa communicates with its receptors in the brain, and whether this happens by directly activating nerve cells that link the gut to the brain or by indirectly activating the brain through blood circulation. Their research could provide insights into the understanding of similar process in mammals including humans.

"We chose to investigate a simple organism, the fly, which would make it easier for us to identify and characterize key nutrient sensors. Because all organisms have cravings for needed nutrients, the nutrient sensors and their pathways we identified in flies would also be relevant to those in mammals. We believe that this research will greatly advance our understanding of the causes of metabolic disease and eating-related disorders," Professor Suh added.

 

https://phys.org/news/2021-05-gut-hormone-triggers-craving-proteins.html

https://www.sciencecodex.com/gut-hormone-triggers-craving-more-proteins-673523

https://www.technologynetworks.com/neuroscience/news/gut-hormone-release-triggers-craving-for-protein-finds-fly-study-348858

https://www.miragenews.com/gut-hormone-triggers-craving-for-more-proteins-561159/

 

 


List of Articles
번호 제목 글쓴이 날짜 조회 수
110 임대식 교수, PNAS 게재 (2013.4) 과사무실 2013.05.02 12574
109 임대식 교수, PNAS에 논문 게재! 과사무실 2010.04.21 12088
108 임대식 교수, 과학기술혁신본부장에 임명 file 생명과학과 2017.09.01 15081
107 임대식 교수, 교과부 ' 창의적연구진흥사업'의 신규 지원과제에 선정! 과사무실 2010.04.21 12366
106 임대식 교수, 김민철 박사 Cell Reports 에 논문 게재(2015.03) / Professor Dae-Sik Lim and Min Cheol Kim, Ph.D Publish in Cell Reports (2015.03) 과사무실 2015.04.06 14453
105 임대식 교수, 세포분열시 MST1 kinase의 새로운 암 억제 기능 발견 (2010. 3) 과사무실 2010.07.09 11591
104 임대식 교수, 천주교 서울대교구 생명위원회 제 14회 '생명의 신비상' 수상 file 생명과학과 2019.12.26 4935
103 임대식 교수, 한국과학상 대통령상 수상(2016. 12. 27) file 생명과학과 2016.12.28 13182
102 임대식 교수님 실험실 (김민철 박사과정) The Embo Journal 게재(2013.5) 과사무실 2013.07.05 15263
101 임대식 최길주 교수 승진 인사발령 과사무실 2004.09.01 14539
100 임정훈 박사 한국분자・세포생물학회 우수박사학위논문상 수상 과사무실 2004.09.09 14173
99 자연과학대학 우수 강의 교원 및 우수 직원 포상 과사무실 2007.03.29 10622
98 전상용 교수 연구팀, 금 알갱이로 항암백신을 만들다 과사무실 2012.08.17 11742
97 전상용 교수, 2009~2014 기초학문 약학분야 9위 선정 생명과학과 2016.10.04 15897
96 전상용 교수, 2012년도 「글로벌연구실(GRL)」신규 지원과제에 선정! 과사무실 2012.08.17 12551
95 전상용 교수, 94회 일본화학회 정기학회 'Distinguished Lectureship Award' 수상 과사무실 2014.04.02 13028
94 전상용 교수, ACS Nano 게재(2014.2) 과사무실 2014.03.12 12660
93 전상용 교수, Cancer Research게제(2014.2) 과사무실 2014.03.12 13125
92 전상용 교수, Theranostics 저널 최다 피인용 논문상 수상 / Professor Sangyong Jon receives The Most Cited Paper Award by the “Theranostics” Journal 과사무실 2015.04.21 12499
91 전상용 교수, 몸 속 물질 이용한 염증 치료제 개발 / Prof. Sang-Yong Jon developed anti-inflammatory drug using biological materials 생명과학과 2016.06.15 19989
Board Pagination Prev 1 ... 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 Next
/ 22