Heterogeneity among tanycyte populations and tanycyte/neuron partnerships
The arcuate nucleus of the hypothalamus (ARH) and the median eminence (ME) are key regions for integrating metabolic information and regulating energy balance. These regions contain multiple interacting cell types—including NPY and POMC neurons, tanycytes, astrocytes, oligodendrocytes, and endothelial cells—that sense and respond to metabolic changes. Tanycytes, lining the floor of the third ventricle and extending a single basal process into the hypothalamic parenchyma, contact blood vessels, glial cells, and neurons. Yet, the heterogeneity of tanycytes and the dynamics of their cellular contacts under different metabolic states remain largely unknown.
Our projects include:
- Dissecting tanycyte morphology and ultrastructure
- Deciphering gene expression patterns along the third ventricle
- Defining plasticity according to metabolic state
- Inferring cell–cell communication within the hypothalamic network