Ali Seifinejad, Sha Li, Cyril Mikhail, Anne Vassalli, Sylvain Pradervand, Yoan Arribat, Hassan Pezeshgi Modarres, Bridget Allen, Rosalind M. John, Francesca Amati and Mehdi Tafti.
Hypocretin/orexin (HCRT) and melanin concentrating hormone (MCH) neuropeptides are exclusively produced by the lateral hypothalamus and play important roles in sleep, metabolism, reward, and motivation. Loss of HCRT (ligands or receptors) causes the sleep disorder narcolepsy with cataplexy in humans and in animal models. How these neuropeptides are produced and involved in diverse functions remain unknown. Here, we developed methods to sort and purify HCRT and MCH neurons from the mouse late embryonic hypothalamus.