Molecular profiling of dorsal raphe nucleus Vgat and VGLUT3-expressing neurons

Hunger, driven by negative energy balance, elicits the search for and consumption of food. In mammals, this is orchestrated principally through the activity of neurons in the hypothalamus, direct manipulation of which can potently drive food intake. However, the neural circuits outside of the hypothalamus that control feeding are poorly understood. Here, we identify two functionally opponent cell types within the dorsal raphe nucleus (DRN), marked by the vesicular transporters for GABA (Vgat) or glutamate (VGLUT3), that project to many known feeding centers and rapidly control feeding. We find that DRNVgat neurons drive, while DRNVGLUT3 neurons suppress, food intake. Furthermore, through the development and application of cell type-specific molecular profiling technologies, we identify many differentially expressed transmembrane receptors, which may represent unique druggable targets. Local application of agonists for these receptors potently modulates feeding, recapitulating the effects of cell-specific manipulations. Together, these data establish a key role for the DRN in controlling food intake and add an important anatomic site that controls energy balance. Overall design: Paired - Inputs and IPs; Unpaired for Vgat/VGLUT3 comparison