hypothalamus leucin and mTOR food intake

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This Week in SCIENCEMay 12 2006, 312 (5775)The brain plays a key role in body weight control. Within the hypothalamus,select populations of neurons sense changes in fuel availability and regulate food intake and metabolism, but the underlying signaling mechanisms have not been well understood. Cota et al. (p. 927; see the Perspective by Flier) implicate the atypical kinase mTOR (mammalian Target of Rapamycin) signaling pathway, which has been widely studied in other cell types where it regulates the rate of protein synthesis. In rodents, central administration of leucine, which increases mTOR signaling in nonneuronal cells, activated hypothalamic mTOR signaling and decreased foodintake and body weight.

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