The relevance of DA system in regulation of feeding and energy consumption led us to focus on the metabolic function of FoxO1 in DA neurons. To address this question, we took advantage of DAT-Cre which is homogenous and specifically expressed in DA neurons17 to generate the DA neuron-specific FoxO1 KO mice. Similar to Syn-FoxO1 KO mice, the FoxO1DAT KO mice showed increased energy expenditure, improved glucose homoeostasis and protection from HFD-induced weight gain although the FoxO1DAT KO mice displayed normal re-feeding response and physical activity6.
