IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/a/nat/natcom/v16y2025i1d10.1038_s41467-025-58144-3.html
   My bibliography  Save this article

Food and water intake are regulated by distinct central amygdala circuits revealed using intersectional genetics

Author

Listed:
  • Federica Fermani

    (Max-Planck Institute for Biological Intelligence)

  • Simon Chang

    (University of Regensburg)

  • Ylenia Mastrodicasa

    (Max-Planck Institute for Biological Intelligence)

  • Christian Peters

    (Max-Planck Institute for Biological Intelligence)

  • Louise Gaitanos

    (Max-Planck Institute for Biological Intelligence)

  • Pilar L. Alcala Morales

    (Max-Planck Institute for Biological Intelligence)

  • Charu Ramakrishnan

    (Stanford University)

  • Karl Deisseroth

    (Stanford University
    Stanford University
    Stanford University)

  • Rüdiger Klein

    (Max-Planck Institute for Biological Intelligence)

Abstract

The central amygdala (CeA) plays a crucial role in defensive and appetitive behaviours. It contains genetically defined GABAergic neuron subpopulations distributed over three anatomical subregions, capsular (CeC), lateral (CeL), and medial (CeM). The roles that these molecularly- and anatomically-defined CeA neurons play in appetitive behavior remain unclear. Using intersectional genetics in mice, we found that neurons driving food or water consumption are confined to the CeM. Separate CeM subpopulations exist for water only versus water or food consumption. In vivo calcium imaging revealed that CeMHtr2a neurons promoting feeding are responsive towards appetitive cues with little regard for their physical attributes. CeMSst neurons involved in drinking are sensitive to the physical properties of salient stimuli. Both CeM subtypes receive inhibitory input from CeL and send projections to the parabrachial nucleus to promote appetitive behavior. These results suggest that distinct CeM microcircuits evaluate liquid and solid appetitive stimuli to drive the appropriate behavioral responses.

Suggested Citation

  • Federica Fermani & Simon Chang & Ylenia Mastrodicasa & Christian Peters & Louise Gaitanos & Pilar L. Alcala Morales & Charu Ramakrishnan & Karl Deisseroth & Rüdiger Klein, 2025. "Food and water intake are regulated by distinct central amygdala circuits revealed using intersectional genetics," Nature Communications, Nature, vol. 16(1), pages 1-21, December.
    • Handle: RePEc:nat:natcom:v:16:y:2025:i:1:d:10.1038_s41467-025-58144-3
    DOI: 10.1038/s41467-025-58144-3
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: https://www.nature.com/articles/s41467-025-58144-3
    File Function: Abstract
    Download Restriction: no
    File URL: https://libkey.io/10.1038/s41467-025-58144-3?utm_source=ideas
    LibKey link: if access is restricted and if your library uses this service, LibKey will redirect you to where you can use your library subscription to access this item
    ---><---

    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Yoav Livneh & Rohan N. Ramesh & Christian R. Burgess & Kirsten M. Levandowski & Joseph C. Madara & Henning Fenselau & Glenn J. Goldey & Veronica E. Diaz & Nick Jikomes & Jon M. Resch & Bradford B. Low, 2017. "Homeostatic circuits selectively gate food cue responses in insular cortex," Nature, Nature, vol. 546(7660), pages 611-616, June.
    2. Matthew E. Carter & Marta E. Soden & Larry S. Zweifel & Richard D. Palmiter, 2013. "Genetic identification of a neural circuit that suppresses appetite," Nature, Nature, vol. 503(7474), pages 111-114, November.
    3. Steffen Schneider & Jin Hwa Lee & Mackenzie Weygandt Mathis, 2023. "Learnable latent embeddings for joint behavioural and neural analysis," Nature, Nature, vol. 617(7960), pages 360-368, May.
    4. Vanessa Depaepe & Nathalie Suarez-Gonzalez & Audrey Dufour & Lara Passante & Jessica A Gorski & Kevin R. Jones & Catherine Ledent & Pierre Vanderhaeghen, 2005. "Ephrin signalling controls brain size by regulating apoptosis of neural progenitors," Nature, Nature, vol. 435(7046), pages 1244-1250, June.
    5. Jonathan P. Fadok & Sabine Krabbe & Milica Markovic & Julien Courtin & Chun Xu & Lema Massi & Paolo Botta & Kristine Bylund & Christian Müller & Aleksandar Kovacevic & Philip Tovote & Andreas Lüthi, 2017. "A competitive inhibitory circuit for selection of active and passive fear responses," Nature, Nature, vol. 542(7639), pages 96-100, February.
    6. Carlos A. Campos & Anna J. Bowen & Carolyn W. Roman & Richard D. Palmiter, 2018. "Encoding of danger by parabrachial CGRP neurons," Nature, Nature, vol. 555(7698), pages 617-622, March.
    7. Patricia H. Janak & Kay M. Tye, 2015. "From circuits to behaviour in the amygdala," Nature, Nature, vol. 517(7534), pages 284-292, January.
    8. Tao Yang & Kai Yu & Xian Zhang & Xiong Xiao & Xiaoke Chen & Yu Fu & Bo Li, 2023. "Plastic and stimulus-specific coding of salient events in the central amygdala," Nature, Nature, vol. 616(7957), pages 510-519, April.
    Full references (including those not matched with items on IDEAS)

    Most related items

    These are the items that most often cite the same works as this one and are cited by the same works as this one.
    1. Anna J. Bowen & Y. Waterlily Huang & Jane Y. Chen & Jordan L. Pauli & Carlos A. Campos & Richard D. Palmiter, 2023. "Topographic representation of current and future threats in the mouse nociceptive amygdala," Nature Communications, Nature, vol. 14(1), pages 1-16, December.
    2. Joseph W. Arthurs & Anna J. Bowen & Richard D. Palmiter & Nathan A. Baertsch, 2023. "Parabrachial tachykinin1-expressing neurons involved in state-dependent breathing control," Nature Communications, Nature, vol. 14(1), pages 1-16, December.
    3. Takashi Nagashima & Suguru Tohyama & Kaori Mikami & Masashi Nagase & Mieko Morishima & Atsushi Kasai & Hitoshi Hashimoto & Ayako M. Watabe, 2022. "Parabrachial-to-parasubthalamic nucleus pathway mediates fear-induced suppression of feeding in male mice," Nature Communications, Nature, vol. 13(1), pages 1-17, December.
    4. Sekun Park & Anqi Zhu & Feng Cao & Richard D. Palmiter, 2024. "Parabrachial Calca neurons mediate second-order conditioning," Nature Communications, Nature, vol. 15(1), pages 1-12, December.
    5. Maxime Lehman & Chloé Barré & Md Amit Hasan & Benjamin Flament & Sandra Autran & Neena Dhiman & Peter Soba & Jean-Baptiste Masson & Tihana Jovanic, 2025. "Neural circuits underlying context-dependent competition between defensive actions in Drosophila larvae," Nature Communications, Nature, vol. 16(1), pages 1-21, December.
    6. Young Hee Lee & Yu-Been Kim & Kyu Sik Kim & Mirae Jang & Ha Young Song & Sang-Ho Jung & Dong-Soo Ha & Joon Seok Park & Jaegeon Lee & Kyung Min Kim & Deok-Hyeon Cheon & Inhyeok Baek & Min-Gi Shin & Eun, 2023. "Lateral hypothalamic leptin receptor neurons drive hunger-gated food-seeking and consummatory behaviours in male mice," Nature Communications, Nature, vol. 14(1), pages 1-16, December.
    7. Fabian Grabenhorst & Raymundo Báez-Mendoza, 2025. "Dynamic coding and sequential integration of multiple reward attributes by primate amygdala neurons," Nature Communications, Nature, vol. 16(1), pages 1-21, December.
    8. Xiaoyi Wang & Shangyu Bi & Ziteng Yue & Xinxin Chen & Yuhang Liu & Tianjiao Deng & Liuqi Shao & Xinyi Jing & Cuidie Wang & Yakun Wang & Wei He & Hongxiao Yu & Luo Shi & Fang Yuan & Sheng Wang, 2025. "GABAergic neurons in central amygdala contribute to orchestrating anxiety-like behaviors and breathing patterns," Nature Communications, Nature, vol. 16(1), pages 1-23, December.
    9. Huiling Yu & Liping Chen & Huiyang Lei & Guilin Pi & Rui Xiong & Tao Jiang & Dongqin Wu & Fei Sun & Yang Gao & Yuanhao Li & Wenju Peng & Bingyu Huang & Guoda Song & Xin Wang & Jingru Lv & Zetao Jin & , 2022. "Infralimbic medial prefrontal cortex signalling to calbindin 1 positive neurons in posterior basolateral amygdala suppresses anxiety- and depression-like behaviours," Nature Communications, Nature, vol. 13(1), pages 1-14, December.
    10. Ren-Wen Han & Zi-Yi Zhang & Chen Jiao & Ze-Yu Hu & Bing-Xing Pan, 2024. "Synergism between two BLA-to-BNST pathways for appropriate expression of anxiety-like behaviors in male mice," Nature Communications, Nature, vol. 15(1), pages 1-18, December.
    11. Mariusz Mucha & Anna E. Skrzypiec & Jaison B. Kolenchery & Valentina Brambilla & Satyam Patel & Alberto Labrador-Ramos & Lucja Kudla & Kathryn Murrall & Nathan Skene & Violetta Dymicka-Piekarska & Aga, 2023. "miR-483-5p offsets functional and behavioural effects of stress in male mice through synapse-targeted repression of Pgap2 in the basolateral amygdala," Nature Communications, Nature, vol. 14(1), pages 1-14, December.
    12. Feng Zhou & Weihua Zhao & Ziyu Qi & Yayuan Geng & Shuxia Yao & Keith M. Kendrick & Tor D. Wager & Benjamin Becker, 2021. "A distributed fMRI-based signature for the subjective experience of fear," Nature Communications, Nature, vol. 12(1), pages 1-16, December.
    13. Qi Wang & Jia-Jie Zhu & Lizhao Wang & Yan-Peng Kan & Yan-Mei Liu & Yan-Jiao Wu & Xue Gu & Xin Yi & Ze-Jie Lin & Qin Wang & Jian-Fei Lu & Qin Jiang & Ying Li & Ming-Gang Liu & Nan-Jie Xu & Michael X. Z, 2022. "Insular cortical circuits as an executive gateway to decipher threat or extinction memory via distinct subcortical pathways," Nature Communications, Nature, vol. 13(1), pages 1-17, December.
    14. Claire H. Feetham & Valeria Collabolletta & Amy A. Worth & Rosemary Shoop & Sam Groom & Court Harding & Mehdi Boutagouga Boudjadja & Tamer Coskun & Paul J. Emmerson & Giuseppe D’Agostino & Simon M. Lu, 2024. "Brainstem BDNF neurons are downstream of GFRAL/GLP1R signalling," Nature Communications, Nature, vol. 15(1), pages 1-16, December.
    15. Dheeraj S. Roy & Young-Gyun Park & Minyoung E. Kim & Ying Zhang & Sachie K. Ogawa & Nicholas DiNapoli & Xinyi Gu & Jae H. Cho & Heejin Choi & Lee Kamentsky & Jared Martin & Olivia Mosto & Tomomi Aida , 2022. "Brain-wide mapping reveals that engrams for a single memory are distributed across multiple brain regions," Nature Communications, Nature, vol. 13(1), pages 1-16, December.
    16. Shaokai Ye & Anastasiia Filippova & Jessy Lauer & Steffen Schneider & Maxime Vidal & Tian Qiu & Alexander Mathis & Mackenzie Weygandt Mathis, 2024. "SuperAnimal pretrained pose estimation models for behavioral analysis," Nature Communications, Nature, vol. 15(1), pages 1-19, December.
    17. Yosuke Yawata & Yu Shikano & Jun Ogasawara & Kenichi Makino & Tetsuhiko Kashima & Keiko Ihara & Airi Yoshimoto & Shota Morikawa & Sho Yagishita & Kenji F. Tanaka & Yuji Ikegaya, 2023. "Mesolimbic dopamine release precedes actively sought aversive stimuli in mice," Nature Communications, Nature, vol. 14(1), pages 1-12, December.
    18. Nagaraj R. Mahajan & Shreesh P. Mysore, 2022. "Donut-like organization of inhibition underlies categorical neural responses in the midbrain," Nature Communications, Nature, vol. 13(1), pages 1-17, December.
    19. In Bum Lee & Eugene Lee & Na-Eun Han & Marko Slavuj & Jeong Wook Hwang & Ahrim Lee & Taeyoung Sun & Yehwan Jeong & Ja-Hyun Baik & Jae-Yong Park & Se-Young Choi & Jeehyun Kwag & Bong-June Yoon, 2024. "Persistent enhancement of basolateral amygdala-dorsomedial striatum synapses causes compulsive-like behaviors in mice," Nature Communications, Nature, vol. 15(1), pages 1-16, December.
    20. Stefano Nardone & Roberto Luca & Antonino Zito & Nataliya Klymko & Dimitris Nicoloutsopoulos & Oren Amsalem & Cory Brannigan & Jon M. Resch & Christopher L. Jacobs & Deepti Pant & Molly Veregge & Hari, 2024. "A spatially-resolved transcriptional atlas of the murine dorsal pons at single-cell resolution," Nature Communications, Nature, vol. 15(1), pages 1-21, December.

    More about this item

    Statistics

    Access and download statistics

    Corrections

    All material on this site has been provided by the respective publishers and authors. You can help correct errors and omissions. When requesting a correction, please mention this item's handle: RePEc:nat:natcom:v:16:y:2025:i:1:d:10.1038_s41467-025-58144-3. See general information about how to correct material in RePEc.

    If you have authored this item and are not yet registered with RePEc, we encourage you to do it here. This allows to link your profile to this item. It also allows you to accept potential citations to this item that we are uncertain about.

    If CitEc recognized a bibliographic reference but did not link an item in RePEc to it, you can help with this form .

    If you know of missing items citing this one, you can help us creating those links by adding the relevant references in the same way as above, for each refering item. If you are a registered author of this item, you may also want to check the "citations" tab in your RePEc Author Service profile, as there may be some citations waiting for confirmation.

    For technical questions regarding this item, or to correct its authors, title, abstract, bibliographic or download information, contact: Sonal Shukla or Springer Nature Abstracting and Indexing (email available below). General contact details of provider: http://www.nature.com .

    Please note that corrections may take a couple of weeks to filter through the various RePEc services.

    IDEAS is a RePEc service. RePEc uses bibliographic data supplied by the respective publishers.