UCSF

Body temperature control is essential for survival. In mammals, thermoregulation is mediated by the preoptic area of anterior hypothalamus (POA), with ∼30% of its neurons sensitive to brain temperature change. It is still unknown whether and how these temperature-sensitive neurons are involved in thermoregulation, because for eight decades they have only been identified via electrophysiological recording. By combining single-cell RNA-seq with whole-cell patch-clamp recordings, we identified Ptgds as a genetic marker for temperature-sensitive POA neurons. Then, we demonstrated these neurons' role in thermoregulation via chemogenetics. Given that Ptgds encodes the enzyme that synthesizes prostaglandin D2 (PGD₂), we further explored its role in thermoregulation. Our study revealed that rising temperature of POA alters the activity of Ptgds-expressing neurons so as to increase PGD₂ production. PGD₂ activates its receptor DP1 and excites downstream neurons in the ventral medial preoptic area (vMPO) that mediates body temperature decrease, a negative feedback loop for thermoregulation.