Nicole K. Littlejohn

This study identifies NK2R as a key regulator of intestinal lipid metabolism and mucosal inflammation, showing bidirectional effects on lipid mobilization and immune responses.

The paper identifies INS-7, an ancestral insulin superfamily peptide in C. elegans, as a gut-to-brain signal that counteracts neuronally driven fat loss during fasting.

This study shows that oxygen-sensing neurons in C. elegans regulate lipid metabolism through neuropeptide signaling, balancing fat loss based on oxygen and food availability.