# Sensing Dietary Amino Acids from Gut to Brain

> **NIH NIH F30** · DUKE UNIVERSITY · 2021 · $51,036

## Abstract

ABSTRACT
Proper weight management mandates consistent consumption of nutritionally balanced diets. Consumption of
diets insufficient in amino acids leads to weight loss, muscular atrophy and generalized malaise. As such,
animals rapidly reject diets lacking amino acids in search for dietary alternatives. Lysine is the most commonly
limited amino acid in foods and recent reports demonstrated that rapid detection of this essential amino acid
occurs via the vagus nerve. However, the vagus nerve does not have direct access to digested products of
food and require signaling from cells that do. My co-sponsor's laboratory has discovered sensor cells in the
intestine that synapse with neurons, now known as neuropod cells. Neuropod cells signal through
neurotransmitters, and it has recently been proposed that serotonin signaling from neuropod cells quickly
conveys salient cues from within the intestine. My preliminary data show that the vagus nerve can rapidly
detect lysine and some intestinal sensor cells specifically sense lysine. Building upon these findings, my
central hypothesis is that intestinal neuropod cells transduce onto vagal neurons the presence of essential
amino acids through serotonin. To test this, two aims are proposed: (1) to test if neuropod cells are necessary
for rapid vagal sensing of lysine, and (2) to determine if neuropods cells release serotonin to signal the
presence of the essential amino acid lysine. I will incorporate technologies from intestinal epithelial biology and
neurobiology to address these aims. In vitro assays will test the interaction between neuropod cells and vagal
neurons in lysine sensing as well as serotonin release from neuropod cells following lysine administration. In
vivo electrophysiology will determine the importance of neuropod cells (when combined with optogenetics) and
serotonin (when combined with pharmacology) in vagal sensing of intestinal lysine. These studies are
expected to uncover whether vagal sensing of the essential amino acid lysine occurs through neuropod cell
release of serotonin. This proposal will ultimately support my training to become an independent physician-
scientist at the intersection of gastroenterology and neurobiology research. My training plan includes
presenting my findings at both local and international conferences and planning a career in translational
research through structured meetings with my mentoring team as well as formal interviews with leading gut-
brain scientists. With the support of this F30, I will develop the requisite skill set to successfully transition into
my post-doctoral training.

## Key facts

- **NIH application ID:** 10140754
- **Project number:** 1F30DK127650-01
- **Recipient organization:** DUKE UNIVERSITY
- **Principal Investigator:** Peter Weng
- **Activity code:** F30 (R01, R21, SBIR, etc.)
- **Funding institute:** NIH
- **Fiscal year:** 2021
- **Award amount:** $51,036
- **Award type:** 1
- **Project period:** 2021-01-01 → 2023-12-31

## Primary source

NIH RePORTER: https://reporter.nih.gov/project-details/10140754

## Citation

> US National Institutes of Health, RePORTER application 10140754, Sensing Dietary Amino Acids from Gut to Brain (1F30DK127650-01). Retrieved via AI Analytics 2026-05-23 from https://api.ai-analytics.org/grant/nih/10140754. Licensed CC0.

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