TY - JOUR TI - Starvation-induced regulation of carbohydrate transport at the blood–brain barrier is TGF-β-signaling dependent AU - Hertenstein, Helen AU - McMullen, Ellen AU - Weiler, Astrid AU - Volkenhoff, Anne AU - Becker, Holger M AU - Schirmeier, Stefanie A2 - VijayRaghavan, K VL - 10 PY - 2021 DA - 2021/05/25 SP - e62503 C1 - eLife 2021;10:e62503 DO - 10.7554/eLife.62503 UR - https://doi.org/10.7554/eLife.62503 AB - During hunger or malnutrition, animals prioritize alimentation of the brain over other organs to ensure its function and, thus, their survival. This protection, also-called brain sparing, is described from Drosophila to humans. However, little is known about the molecular mechanisms adapting carbohydrate transport. Here, we used Drosophila genetics to unravel the mechanisms operating at the blood–brain barrier (BBB) under nutrient restriction. During starvation, expression of the carbohydrate transporter Tret1-1 is increased to provide more efficient carbohydrate uptake. Two mechanisms are responsible for this increase. Similar to the regulation of mammalian GLUT4, Rab-dependent intracellular shuttling is needed for Tret1-1 integration into the plasma membrane; even though Tret1-1 regulation is independent of insulin signaling. In addition, starvation induces transcriptional upregulation that is controlled by TGF-β signaling. Considering TGF-β-dependent regulation of the glucose transporter GLUT1 in murine chondrocytes, our study reveals an evolutionarily conserved regulatory paradigm adapting the expression of sugar transporters at the BBB. KW - blood-brain barrier KW - carbohydrate transport KW - TGF-β signaling JF - eLife SN - 2050-084X PB - eLife Sciences Publications, Ltd ER -