# Central FGF21-mediated control of energy expenditure.

> **NIH NIH F32** · LSU PENNINGTON BIOMEDICAL RESEARCH CTR · 2022 · $63,876

## Abstract

PROJECT SUMMARY/ABSTRACT
Dietary protein or essential amino acid intake is required for survival, and available evidence
suggests that the body senses and adaptively responds to reductions in protein intake. The
Morrison Lab has previously shown that adaptive metabolic responses to protein restriction are
dependent on FGF21 signaling in the brain via its co-receptor beta-klotho (Klb), such that the
ability of dietary protein restriction to increase energy expenditure, upregulate thermogenic gene
expression in white and brown adipose tissue (WAT and BAT), and improve glucose
homeostasis is completely dependent on this FGF21-mediated liver to brain signal. The goals
of this F32 project are to: 1) Identify and phenotype populations of FGF21-responsive neurons
that mediate increases in energy expenditure during protein restriction, and 2) determine
whether the downstream, FGF21-dependent remodeling of adipose tissue is required for
changes in metabolic endpoints during protein restriction. Understanding the specific
mechanism through which FGF21 signals in the CNS will identify novel neural circuits that
regulate energy expenditure and adipose tissue metabolism, and in so doing potentially lead to
new interventions to decrease adiposity in individuals who struggle to maintain a healthy weight.

## Key facts

- **NIH application ID:** 10489722
- **Project number:** 5F32DK130544-02
- **Recipient organization:** LSU PENNINGTON BIOMEDICAL RESEARCH CTR
- **Principal Investigator:** REDIN A SPANN
- **Activity code:** F32 (R01, R21, SBIR, etc.)
- **Funding institute:** NIH
- **Fiscal year:** 2022
- **Award amount:** $63,876
- **Award type:** 5
- **Project period:** 2021-09-25 → 2023-07-31

## Primary source

NIH RePORTER: https://reporter.nih.gov/project-details/10489722

## Citation

> US National Institutes of Health, RePORTER application 10489722, Central FGF21-mediated control of energy expenditure. (5F32DK130544-02). Retrieved via AI Analytics 2026-05-26 from https://api.ai-analytics.org/grant/nih/10489722. Licensed CC0.

---

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