# Mammalian bile acid detection, processing, and impact on social behavior

> **NIH NIH R01** · UNIVERSITY OF ROCHESTER · 2022 · $425,654

## Abstract

Project Summary/Abstract
The overall goal of this research plan is to improve understanding about mammalian bile acid chemosignaling
through the accessory olfactory system (AOS). Bile acids – well known regulators of fat digestion and
metabolism – also serve as external chemosignals for the AOS. In most mammals, the AOS directly influences
brain regions that control anxiety and social behaviors, and understanding this brain pathway is likely to
provide insights into mammalian sexual/reproductive drive, social anxiety, and moods. New knowledge about
AOS function may be utilized to help control rodent populations, including those that harbor harmful
microorganisms. The mechanisms of peripheral bile acid sensation, the mechanisms of bile acid information
processing in the brain, and the behavioral impacts of bile acids are currently unknown. The proposed
research will combine new calcium imaging techniques with transcriptome analysis to identify the peripheral
AOS receptor(s) sensitive to bile acids. Other proposed experiments will investigate network properties in
accessory olfactory bulb (AOB), where bile acid and other steroid information is integrated. Finally, behavioral
assessment will be coupled to brain-wide immediate early gene mapping to determine the overall impacts of
bile acid chemosensation on brain activity and behavior. The proposed research will investigate these topics in
order to improve understanding of this important class of mammalian chemosignals. The results of the
proposed experiments will ultimately benefit human health by linking mammalian gut physiology to brain
function.

## Key facts

- **NIH application ID:** 10402943
- **Project number:** 5R01DC017985-04
- **Recipient organization:** UNIVERSITY OF ROCHESTER
- **Principal Investigator:** Julian P Meeks
- **Activity code:** R01 (R01, R21, SBIR, etc.)
- **Funding institute:** NIH
- **Fiscal year:** 2022
- **Award amount:** $425,654
- **Award type:** 5
- **Project period:** 2019-06-01 → 2024-05-31

## Primary source

NIH RePORTER: https://reporter.nih.gov/project-details/10402943

## Citation

> US National Institutes of Health, RePORTER application 10402943, Mammalian bile acid detection, processing, and impact on social behavior (5R01DC017985-04). Retrieved via AI Analytics 2026-05-24 from https://api.ai-analytics.org/grant/nih/10402943. Licensed CC0.

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