receptor in POMC neurons suppresses feeding behavior and gastric motility. Am J Physiol Endocrinol Metab 303: E853-E864, 2012. First published July 24, 2012; doi:10.1152/ajpendo.00245.2012.-Glucagon-like peptides (GLP-1/2) are cosecreted from endocrine L cells in the gut and preproglucagonergic neurons in the brain. Peripheral GLP-2 action is essential for maintaining intestinal homeostasis, improving absorption efficiency and blood flow, promoting immune defense, and producing efficacy in treatment of gastrointestinal diseases. However, it is unknown if CNS GLP-2 plays a physiological role in the control of energy homeostasis. Since GLP-1/2 are cotranslated from preproglucagongene and coproduced by prohormone convertase-1, it is challenging to knockout GLP-2 only. Instead, our laboratory has generated a Glp2r-floxed mouse line to dissect cellspecific GLP-2 receptor GLP-2R) action in the regulation of energy balance. Our objective was to determine if GLP-2R in the hypothalamus modulates feeding behavior and gastric emptying. We show that Glp2r mRNA and protein are highly expressed in the arcuate nucleus and dorsomedial nucleus of the mouse hypothalamus. Using the Cre-LoxP system, we generated mice that lack Glp2r expression in POMC neurons (KO; mainly in the hypothalamus). The KO mice showed hyperphagic behavior (such as increases in food intake and meal frequency), accelerated gastric emptying (assessed by [ 13 C]octanoic acid breath test), and late-onset obesity, yet there was no decrease in basal metabolic rate. Infusion of GLP-2 (2.5 nmol into the 4th ventricle) suppressed food intake and gastric emptying, while GLP-2-mediated effects were abolished in the melanocortin receptor-4 (MC4R) KO mice. We conclude that Glp2r deletion in POMC neurons enhances feeding behavior and gastric motility, whereas icv GLP-2R activation suppresses food intake and gastric emptying through the MC4R signaling pathway. This study indicates that CNS GLP-2R plays a physiological role in the control of feeding behavior and gastric emptying and that this is mediated probably through the melanocortin system. glucagon-like peptides; proopiomelanocortin; energy homeostasis; food intake; gastric emptying OBESITY AND TYPE 2 DIABETES affect millions of people and are major health problems in the United States. The hypothalamus, a primary site of convergence and integration in the brain for hormonal and nutritional signals, plays pivotal roles in the regulation of energy balance (42). In the arcuate nucleus (ARC) of the hypothalamus, neurons expressing proopiomelanocortin (POMC neurons) are perfectly positioned to integrate long-term adiposity and short-term satiety signals for energy homeostasis (12). POMC neuronal activation enhances energy expenditure and suppresses food intake, yet neuroendocrine mechanisms are not fully established. Notably, the gastrointestinal (GI) tract has a crucial role in digestion, absorption, and assimilation of nutrients (15), thus controlling energy intake at the first pass. Through the gut-brain axis, gut ho...