麻豆淫院

Why do animals search for food at specific times of the day? In a study published in , a research group led by Prof. Li Yan from the Institute of Biophysics of the Chinese Academy of Sciences has uncovered the neural circuit that links the internal central clock to rhythmic foraging, offering original insights into how circadian timing shapes daily behavior.

Many animal behaviors exhibit circadian rhythmicity. In particular, foraging shows strong rhythmic patterns. Remarkably, even animals raised in a laboratory with stable temperature and light conditions exhibit such rhythmic foraging behavior. However, the neural mechanisms underlying these circadian patterns await elucidation.

The researchers identified a group of inhibitory projection neurons in the olfactory system, called mlPN3. Behavioral experiments showed that mlPN3 neurons suppress foraging behavior at midday; however, this suppression is lifted in the early morning.

Functional imaging study revealed that the spontaneous neural activity of mlPN3 neurons exhibits circadian rhythms鈥攍ower in the early morning and higher at midday.

This fluctuation is driven by a group of circadian neurons, morning cells, which activate dopaminergic neurons PAM-尾'2 via pigment-dispersing factor (PDF) neuropeptide in the early morning, thereby inhibiting mlPN3 neurons.

Using the olfactory system as an entry point, the researchers identified a novel function of inhibitory projection neurons that mediate circadian regulation of foraging behavior, "eating at the right time." This circuit mechanism of disinhibition may underlie the circadian regulation of various animal behaviors.