# FGF21-dependent mechanisms driving changes in energy expenditure during dietary protein restriction

> **NIH NIH R01** · LSU PENNINGTON BIOMEDICAL RESEARCH CTR · 2022 · $370,000

## Abstract

Project Summary
Dietary protein intake alters energy expenditure and remodels adipose tissue, but the cellular mechanisms
mediating these effects are largely undescribed. We recently discovered that the hormone FGF21 is robustly
increased by dietary protein restriction and that mice lacking FGF21 fail to exhibit the expected changes in
growth, energy expenditure or glucose homeostasis in response to dietary restriction. In addition, selective
deletion of the FGF21 co-receptor beta-Klotho (Klb) from the brain also blocks the metabolic response to
protein restriction. This discovery has redefined FGF21's physiological role by suggesting that it acts directly in
the brain to coordinate the adaptive, homeostatic response to protein restriction. This project extends these
data by 1) Identifying the FGF21-dependent neurobiological mechanisms that mediate changes in energy
expenditure during protein restriction, and 2) Determining the mechanism through which protein restriction, via
brain FGF21 signaling, remodels adipose tissue and thereby influences energy expenditure and metabolic
health. This project will define the mechanism through which animals sense and respond to protein restriction
while also delineating the mechanisms through which FGF21 acts in the brain to stimulate energy expenditure.

## Key facts

- **NIH application ID:** 10359751
- **Project number:** 5R01DK121370-03
- **Recipient organization:** LSU PENNINGTON BIOMEDICAL RESEARCH CTR
- **Principal Investigator:** Christopher D Morrison
- **Activity code:** R01 (R01, R21, SBIR, etc.)
- **Funding institute:** NIH
- **Fiscal year:** 2022
- **Award amount:** $370,000
- **Award type:** 5
- **Project period:** 2020-05-15 → 2024-02-29

## Primary source

NIH RePORTER: https://reporter.nih.gov/project-details/10359751

## Citation

> US National Institutes of Health, RePORTER application 10359751, FGF21-dependent mechanisms driving changes in energy expenditure during dietary protein restriction (5R01DK121370-03). Retrieved via AI Analytics 2026-05-22 from https://api.ai-analytics.org/grant/nih/10359751. Licensed CC0.

---

*[NIH grants dataset](/datasets/nih-grants) · CC0 1.0*