We have shown that synaptic re-organization of hypothalamic feeding circuits in response to metabolic shifts involves astrocytes, cells that can directly respond to the metabolic hormone, leptin, in vitro. It is not known whether the role of glia cells in hypothalamic synaptic adaptions is active or passive. Here we show that leptin receptors are expressed in hypothalamic astrocytes and that conditional, adult deletion of leptin receptors in astrocytes leads to altered glial morphology, decreased glial coverage and elevated synaptic inputs onto pro-opiomelanocortin (POMC)- and Agouti-related protein (AgRP)-producing neurons. Leptin-induced suppression of feeding was diminished, while rebound feeding after fasting or ghrelin administration was elevated in mice with astrocyte-specific leptin receptor deficiency. These data unmask an active role of glial cells in the initiation of hypothalamic synaptic plasticity and neuroendocrine control of feeding by leptin.

SUMMARY Induction of beige cells causes the browning of white fat and improves energy metabolism. However, the central mechanism that controls adipose tissue browning and its physiological relevance are largely unknown. Here we demonstrate that fasting and chemical-genetic activation of orexigenic AgRP neurons in the hypothalamus suppress the browning of white fat. O-linked β-N-acetylglucosamine (O-GlcNAc) modification of cytoplasmic and nuclear proteins regulates fundamental cellular processes. The levels of O-GlcNAc transferase (OGT) and O-GlcNAc modification are enriched in AgRP neurons and are elevated by fasting. Genetic ablation of OGT in AgRP neurons inhibits neuronal excitability through the voltage-dependent potassium channel, promotes white adipose tissue browning, and protects mice against diet-induced obesity and insulin resistance. These data reveal adipose tissue browning as a highly dynamic physiological process under central control, in which O-GlcNAc signaling in AgRP neurons is essential for suppressing thermogenesis to conserve energy in response to fasting.

SUMMARY The nervous system evolved to coordinate flexible goal-directed behaviors by integrating interoceptive and sensory information. Hypothalamic Agrp neurons are known to be crucial for feeding behavior. Here, however, we show that these neurons also orchestrate other complex behaviors in adult mice. Activation of Agrp neurons in the absence of food triggers foraging and repetitive behaviors, which are reverted by food consumption. These stereotypic behaviors that are triggered by Agrp neurons are coupled with decreased anxiety. NPY5 receptor signaling is necessary to mediate the repetitive behaviors after Agrp neuron activation while having minor effects on feeding. Thus, we have unmasked a functional role for Agrp neurons in controlling repetitive behaviors mediated, at least in part, by neuropeptidergic signaling. The findings reveal a new set of behaviors coupled to the energy homeostasis circuit and suggest potential therapeutic avenues for diseases with stereotypic behaviors.