ISHIMARU YOSHIRO    Department   Undergraduate School  , School of Agriculture    Position   Professor
Research Period	2013/04～2016/03
Research Topic	Functional analysis of cells expressing taste-related genes in the gastrointestinal tract
Research Type	KAKENHI Research
Consignor	Japan Society for the Promotion of Science
Research Program Type	Grant-in-Aid for Scientific Research (B)
KAKENHI Grant No.	25292068
Responsibility	Representative Researcher
Representative Person	ISHIMARU Yoshiro
Collaborative Researcher	MISAKA Takumi
Details	The mechanisms of differentiation and the function of tuft cells, which constitute about 0.4% of the intestinal epithelium, remain elusive. Here we show that both tuft cells and type II taste cells are eliminated in the gastrointestinal (GI) tract of transcription factor Skn-1 knockout (KO) mice. Despite unaltered food intake, Skn-1 KO mice have reduced body weight with lower body fat due to increased energy expenditure. In this model, 24-hr urinary excretion of catecholamines was significantly elevated, accompanied by increased fatty acid beta-oxidation and fuel dissipation in skeletal muscle and impaired insulin secretion driven by glucose. These results suggest the existence of brain-mediated energy homeostatic pathways originating from tuft cells and type II taste cells in the GI tract and ending in peripheral tissues, including the adrenal glands. The discovery of food-derived factors that regulate these cells may open new avenues for the treatment of obesity and diabetes.