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Tanycytes: Gateway to the hungry brain
Author(s) -
Ebling Francis J. P.
Publication year - 2021
Publication title -
journal of neurochemistry
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.75
H-Index - 229
eISSN - 1471-4159
pISSN - 0022-3042
DOI - 10.1111/jnc.15218
Subject(s) - connexin , neuroscience , gap junction , hypothalamus , mammalian brain , neuroplasticity , biology , function (biology) , microbiology and biotechnology , intracellular
Tanycytes are glial cells in the hypothalamus that are functionally part of the blood-brain barrier. They can sense nutrients and metabolites in the circulation such as glucose, then signal to neuronal systems to influence ingestive behaviour and energy storage, and ultimately affect body weight. The complex structure of tanycytes underpins this function, and communication is dependent upon connexin-43 gap junctions between tanycytes. This Editorial highlights studies by Recabal and coworkers (Recabal et al., 2020) in the current issue that shed some light on how this happens, and on how FGF2 might induce plasticity in hypothalamic structure through changes in tanycyte function that are dependent on connexin-43 hemichannels. This Editorial Highlights the article https://doi.org/10.1111/jnc.15188.