Protein appetite drives macronutrient-related differences in ventral tegmental area neural activity

Giulia Chiacchierini, Fabien Naneix, Kate Zara Peters, John ApergisSchoute, Eelke Mirthe Simone Snoeren, James Edgar McCutcheon* (Corresponding Author)

*Corresponding author for this work

Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

9 Citations (Scopus)
3 Downloads (Pure)

Abstract

Control of protein intake is essential for numerous biological processes as several amino acids cannot be synthesized de novo, however, its neurobiological substrates are still poorly understood. In the present study, we combined in vivo fiber photometry with nutrientconditioned flavor in a rat model of protein appetite to record neuronal activity in the ventral tegmental area (VTA), a central brain region for the control of food-related processes. In adult male rats, protein restriction increased preference for casein (protein) over maltodextrin (carbohydrate). Moreover, protein consumption was associated with a greater VTA response relative to carbohydrate. After initial nutrient preference, a switch from a normal balanced diet to protein restriction induced rapid development of protein preference but required extensive exposure to macronutrient solutions to induce greater VTA responses to casein. Furthermore, prior protein restriction induced long-lasting food preference and VTA responses. This study reveals that VTA circuits are involved in protein appetite in times of need, a crucial process for all animals to acquire an adequate amount of protein in their diet.
Original languageEnglish
Pages (from-to)5080-5092
Number of pages13
JournalJournal of Neuroscience
Volume41
Issue number23
Early online date29 Apr 2021
DOIs
Publication statusPublished - 9 Jun 2021

Bibliographical note

Acknowledgements: The authors acknowledge the help and support from the staff of the Division of Biomedical Services, Preclinical Research Facility, University of Leicester, for technical support and the care of experimental animals. The authors would like to thank Vaibhav Konanur for developing the analytical method used to correct fluorescence traces, Leon Lagnado for kindly loaning equipment used in initial photometry experiments, and Andrew MacAskill for useful discussions regarding analysis. This work was funded by the Biotechnology and Biological Sciences Research Council [grant #BB/M007391/1 to J.E.M.], the European Commission [grant #GA 631404 to J.E.M.], The Leverhulme Trust [grant #RPG-2017-417 to J.E.M. and J.A-S.], and Tromsø Research Foundation [grant #19-SGJMcC to J. E. M.).

Fingerprint

Dive into the research topics of 'Protein appetite drives macronutrient-related differences in ventral tegmental area neural activity'. Together they form a unique fingerprint.

Cite this