Nature Communications (Dec 2019)

DNA methylation in AgRP neurons regulates voluntary exercise behavior in mice

  • Harry MacKay,
  • C. Anthony Scott,
  • Jack D. Duryea,
  • Maria S. Baker,
  • Eleonora Laritsky,
  • Amanda E. Elson,
  • Theodore Garland Jr.,
  • Marta L. Fiorotto,
  • Rui Chen,
  • Yumei Li,
  • Cristian Coarfa,
  • Richard B. Simerly,
  • Robert A. Waterland

DOI
https://doi.org/10.1038/s41467-019-13339-3
Journal volume & issue
Vol. 10, no. 1
pp. 1 – 11

Abstract

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AgRP neurons in the hypothalamic arcuate nucleus (ARH) are involved in regulating hunger and energy balance. Here the authors show that knockout of the DNA methyltransferase Dnmt3a in AgRP neurons of the ARH leads to a reduction in voluntary exercise along with numerous epigenetic and gene expression changes in ARH neurons.