Orexin / Hypocretin Neuron

A neurons cell type of the human nervous system.

Lateral hypothalamic orexin neuron that stabilizes wakefulness; loss of these neurons causes narcolepsy type 1.

Function

Orexin neurons stabilize wakefulness and coordinate arousal with feeding, energy balance, stress, and reward-seeking circuits.

Morphology

Medium multipolar

Specification

  • Neurotransmitter: Orexin (Hypocretin)
  • Co-transmitters: Glutamate; Dynorphin
  • Receptors: Orexin receptors OX1R (HCRTR1) and OX2R (HCRTR2)
  • Location: Lateral hypothalamus (lateral/posterior hypothalamic area)
  • Projections: Widespread / diffuse throughout CNS (e.g. locus coeruleus, cortex, sleep-wake nuclei)
  • Firing: Active during wakefulness
  • Markers: HCRT (prepro-orexin); PDYN/dynorphin (co-expressed); NPTX2
  • Developmental origin: Diencephalon
  • Disease: Narcolepsy type 1 (caused by loss of these neurons)
  • Cell Ontology: CL:0011109

References

  1. Thannickal TC et al. (2000). Reduced number of hypocretin neurons in human narcolepsy.. Neuron 27 PMID 11055430
  2. Sakurai T et al. (1998). Orexins and orexin receptors: a family of hypothalamic neuropeptides and G protein-coupled receptors that regulate feeding behavior.. Cell 92 PMID 9491897
  3. Chou TC et al. (2001). Orexin (hypocretin) neurons contain dynorphin.. The Journal of neuroscience : the official journal of the Society for Neuroscience 21 PMID 11567079

Loading interactive 3D atlas…