GSE261715 Single cell tracing of Pomc neurons reveals recruitment of ‘Ghost’ subtypes with atypical identity in a mouse model of obesity

Contributors : Carmelo Quarta ; Stephane Leon ; Alexandre Brochard ; Emeline LhuillierSeries Type : Expression profiling by high throughput sequencingOrganism : Mus musculusThe hypothalamus contains a remarkable diversity of neurons that orchestrate behavioural and metabolic outputs in a highly plastic manner. Neuronal diversity is key to enabling hypothalamic functions and, according to the neuroscience dogma, it is predetermined during embryonic life. Here, by combining lineage tracing of hypothalamic pro-opiomelanocortin (Pomc) neurons with single-cell profiling approaches in adult male mice, we uncovered subpopulations of 'Ghost' neurons endowed with atypical molecular and functional identity. Compared to 'classical' Pomc neurons, Ghost neurons exhibit negligible Pomc expression and are ‘invisible’ to available neuroanatomical approaches and promoter-based reporter mice for studying Pomc biology. Ghost neuron numbers increase in diet-induced obese mice, independent of neurogenesis or cell death, but weight loss can reverse this shift. Our work challenges the notion of fixed, de velopmentally programmed neuronal identities in the mature hypothalamus, highlighting the ability of specialized neurons to adapt their funcitonal identity to adult-onset obesogenic stimuli
Source: GEO: Gene Expression Omnibus - Category: Genetics & Stem Cells Tags: Expression profiling by high throughput sequencing Mus musculus Source Type: research