# Ciliary Mchr 1 Signaling in Feeding Behavior and Obesity

> **NIH NIH R01** · INDIANA UNIVERSITY INDIANAPOLIS · 2022 · $350,513

## Abstract

PROJECT SUMMARY
 Obesity is a major cause of premature mortality due to its associated co-morbidities such as diabetes,
heart disease and stroke. Two-thirds of adults in the United States are overweight, adding immense costs to the
healthcare system. Although once considered to be a social issue of overindulgence, modern science has
revealed a profound effect of genetics on body weight. Rare monogenetic forms of obesity in humans and animal
models have revealed that the regulation of energy balance is complex, involving numerous intertwined signaling
pathways.
 Both Bardet-Biedl syndrome (BBS) and Alström syndrome (ALMS) are genetic disorders that present
with increases in eating and obesity. These rare syndromes are examples of ciliopathies, a class of genetic
disorders that have cilia dysfunction as their etiological basis. Primary cilia are small, solitary, microtubule based
cellular appendages that were long thought to be vestigial organelles. Thus, it was surprising that their
dysfunction was associated with obesity in both humans and animal models. Disruption of cilia specifically within
the brain of mice results in hyperphagia associated obesity. Recent work has implicated cilia or their associated
proteins in coordinating leptin signaling, although this remains controversial and unclear. It has also recently
been shown that several G-protein coupled receptors preferentially localize to the cilia of neurons. How these
ciliary receptors and signaling pathways may impact feeding behavior and obesity also remains unclear. The
goal of this project is to determine if altered signaling through a specific ciliary receptor that is known to have a
role in feeding behavior, melanin concentrating hormone receptor 1, contributes to the obesity phenotype. A
strong understanding of the connection between cilia and obesity could open new therapeutic approaches to
address one of the most clinically important issues impacting the health of the American populace.

## Key facts

- **NIH application ID:** 10358529
- **Project number:** 5R01DK114008-05
- **Recipient organization:** INDIANA UNIVERSITY INDIANAPOLIS
- **Principal Investigator:** Nicolas F Berbari
- **Activity code:** R01 (R01, R21, SBIR, etc.)
- **Funding institute:** NIH
- **Fiscal year:** 2022
- **Award amount:** $350,513
- **Award type:** 5
- **Project period:** 2018-03-20 → 2024-02-29

## Primary source

NIH RePORTER: https://reporter.nih.gov/project-details/10358529

## Citation

> US National Institutes of Health, RePORTER application 10358529, Ciliary Mchr 1 Signaling in Feeding Behavior and Obesity (5R01DK114008-05). Retrieved via AI Analytics 2026-05-23 from https://api.ai-analytics.org/grant/nih/10358529. Licensed CC0.

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