The brain has found its "conductor": scientists have discovered a gene that controls stress

Stress often affects not only the emotional state, but also the work of the whole body. Some people lose their appetite during difficult periods, others begin to overeat, some have sleep disorders or weight changes. A new study published in the journal Medical Xpress has shown that these processes may be interconnected much more closely than previously thought. Scientists have discovered a gene that simultaneously regulates the stress system, hormonal balance and metabolism. Why this discovery may change the perception of certain mental and endocrine diseases is described in the Izvestia article.

The Otp gene is the main regulator of stress and metabolism

Researchers from the Weizmann Institute of Technology have found that the Orthopedia (Otp) gene continues to play an important role not only during embryo development, as previously thought, but also throughout life.

Previously, scientists knew that Otp is necessary for the formation of the hypothalamus, an area of the brain responsible for many vital functions. However, it remained unknown whether this gene continued to work after the brain was fully formed. To test this, the researchers developed a method to disable Otp only in adult mice, without affecting the development of the nervous system.

The results were unexpected: after Otp was turned off, the animals' stress hormone levels rose sharply, their ability to cope with adverse situations worsened, and signs of depressive-like behavior appeared. At the same time, the mice's thyroid hormone levels decreased, their body temperature dropped, cholesterol levels rose, and the amount of adipose tissue increased, although they ate the same amount as the animals in the control group.

According to the authors of the work, Otp acts as a kind of "control center", coordinating several body systems at once. Instead of being responsible for a single process, it helps maintain a balance between stress response, hormonal regulation, and energy metabolism.

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Why is one part of the brain able to affect almost the entire body?

The hypothalamus, a small part of the brain that is often referred to as the main regulator of the body's internal balance, plays a key role in Otp. This is where hunger, thirst, body temperature, sleep, reproductive function, hormone production, and stress response are controlled.

The hypothalamus controls the body with the help of special chemicals. If they affect other organs through the blood, they are called hormones. If they transmit signals between the nerve cells of the brain, we are talking about neuropeptides. According to the authors of the study, in many cases it is the same molecule that performs different functions depending on where its signal is directed.

That is why changes in the work of one gene can simultaneously affect both the mental state of a person and the work of the endocrine system. Otp regulates the activity of several groups of hypothalamic nerve cells at once, some of which stimulate hunger, while others, on the contrary, contribute to energy expenditure. The task of the gene is to maintain a balance between them.

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Why stress affects not only mood, but also metabolism

The results help explain what doctors have been observing for a long time. In many patients, depression or anxiety disorders are accompanied by changes in body weight, metabolic disorders, and thyroid problems. Until now, these phenomena have often been considered as separate diseases, but a new study shows that they may have a common biological mechanism.

The authors believe that stress cannot be considered solely as a psychological phenomenon. The body's reaction affects several interconnected systems at once, and disruptions in one of them can gradually affect the work of the rest.

How the discovery can help in the treatment of depression and metabolic disorders

The researchers emphasize that we are not yet talking about finding a "depression gene" or a universal treatment method. Otp does not cause a specific disease, but helps to coordinate the work of a whole network of processes that maintain the physiological balance of the body.

According to the authors of the work, in the future, scientists will be able to influence not the entire system at once, but individual mechanisms controlled by Otp. This approach will potentially allow for the development of more accurate treatments for depression, anxiety disorders, and certain metabolic disorders, restoring the disturbed balance rather than suppressing the entire body.

That is why the discovery may be important not only for neurobiology, but also for endocrinology. It shows once again that the mental state, brain function and metabolism are not isolated processes, but parts of a single system, closely related to each other.