Fibroblast growth factor 21 (FGF21) is a liver-derived hormone that signals the brain to coordinate behavioral and metabolic adaptations to fasting, dietary imbalance, and changing energetic demands. However, the precise brain regions and neural populations that mediate the functions of FGF21 have remained unclear. We spoke with the authors of two related papers in this issue of Cell Reports, Christopher Morrison (C.M.) and Matthew Potthoff (M.P.), regarding their work (links to papers) that identifies a hindbrain circuit mediating the effects of FGF21 on feeding and energy expenditure.
Morrison et al. (Wed,) studied this question.