Fat Cells Steer Flies Away From Pathogen-Tainted Food Through a Newly Revealed Neural Circuit

Fat cells steer flies away from pathogen-tainted food through a newly revealed neural circuit

If humans or animals eat something that causes them to feel unwell, they subsequently avoid this food source. Until now, it has been unclear precisely how this avoidance learning takes place. A new study shows that communication between the brain cells and fat cells could play a crucial role here. The participants from the Universities of Bonn and Tohoku (Japan) and University Hospital Bonn have revealed the previously unknown mechanism in the f…

Fat Cells Crucial in Learning to Avoid Danger, Study Finds

In a groundbreaking study published in the prestigious journal Neuron, researchers from the Universities of Bonn, Leipzig, and Tohoku, alongside University Hospital Bonn, have unveiled a molecular conversation between the brain and fat cells that underpins learned avoidance behavior to harmful pathogens in the fruit fly Drosophila. This newly discovered bi-directional communication pathway suggests that […]

Fat Cells Teach the Brain to Avoid Bad Food

A new study reveals that fat cells play a vital role in learning food aversion. By producing dopamine in response to infection, fat cells tell the brain to avoid harmful bacteria in the future.