A gut-brain neural circuit for nutrient sensory transduction

Abstract

Dissecting the gut-brain axis It is generally believed that cells in the gut transduce sensory information through the paracrine action of hormones. Kaelberer et al. found that, in addition to the well-described classical paracrine transduction, enteroendocrine cells also form fast, excitatory synapses with vagal afferents (see the Perspective by Hoffman and Lumpkin). This more direct circuit for gut-brain signaling uses glutamate as a neurotransmitter. Thus, sensory cues that stimulate the gut could potentially be manipulated to influence specific brain functions and behavior, including those linked to food choices. Science , this issue p. eaat5236 ; see also p. 1203