Dorsomedial hypothalamic BDNF neurons integrate thermal afferent signals to control energy expenditure

Abstract

Mutations in the gene brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) cause obesity in humans. BDNF signaling and its expressing neurons in the hypothalamus help control feeding, energy expenditure (EE), and physical activity. However, whether the BDNF neurons interact with another EE-regulating system, the thermoregulation circuitry, remains unclear. Here, we show that BDNF neurons in the dorsomedial hypothalamus (DMH) are activated by environmental cooling and sufficient to induce body temperature increases and brown adipose tissue (BAT) thermogenesis. Conversely, blocking these neurons impairs BAT thermogenesis and cold defense, causing body weight gain and glucose intolerance. DMH BDNF neurons are therefore an important type of thermoregulatory neuron, integrating thermal afferent signals to control EE during cold defense. This reveals a critical intersection between the BDNF circuitry and the thermoregulatory system.