Sammons, M. et al. Brain–body physiology: local, reflex, and central communication. Cell 187, 5877–5890 (2024).

Article  CAS  PubMed  PubMed Central  Google Scholar 

Sternson, S. M. & Eiselt, A.-K. Three pillars for the neural control of appetite. Annu. Rev. Physiol. 79, 401–423 (2017).

Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

Lin, E. E., Scott-Solomon, E. & Kuruvilla, R. Peripheral innervation in the regulation of glucose homeostasis. Trends Neurosci. 44, 189–202 (2021).

Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

Wachsmuth, H. R., Weninger, S. N. & Duca, F. A. Role of the gut–brain axis in energy and glucose metabolism. Exp. Mol. Med. 54, 377–392 (2022).

Article  CAS  PubMed  PubMed Central  Google Scholar 

Langhans, W., Watts, A. G. & Spector, A. C. The elusive cephalic phase insulin response: triggers, mechanisms, and functions. Physiol. Rev. 103, 1423–1485 (2023).

Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

Ml, A. & Bb, L. Toward a wiring diagram understanding of appetite control. Neuron 95, 757–778 (2017).

Article  Google Scholar 

Augustine, V., Lee, S. & Oka, Y. Neural control and modulation of thirst, sodium appetite, and hunger. Cell 180, 25–32 (2020).

Article  CAS  PubMed  PubMed Central  Google Scholar 

Abraira, V. E. & Ginty, D. D. The sensory neurons of touch. Neuron 79, 618–639 (2013).

Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

Travagli, R. A. & Anselmi, L. Vagal neurocircuitry and its influence on gastric motility. Nat. Rev. Gastroenterol. Hepatol. 13, 389–401 (2016).

Article  CAS  PubMed  PubMed Central  Google Scholar 

Yu, C. D., Xu, Q. J. & Chang, R. B. Vagal sensory neurons and gut–brain signaling. Curr. Opin. Neurobiol. 62, 133–140 (2020).

Article  CAS  PubMed  PubMed Central  Google Scholar 

Kim, M., Heo, G. & Kim, S.-Y. Neural signalling of gut mechanosensation in ingestive and digestive processes. Nat. Rev. Neurosci. 23, 135–156 (2022).

Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

Prescott, S. L. & Liberles, S. D. Internal senses of the vagus nerve. Neuron 110, 579–599 (2022).

Article  CAS  PubMed  PubMed Central  Google Scholar 

Barman, S. M. & Yates, B. J. Deciphering the neural control of sympathetic nerve activity: status report and directions for future research. Front. Neurosci. 11, 730 (2017).

Article  PubMed  PubMed Central  Google Scholar 

Langley, J. N. On the regeneration of pre-ganglionic and of post-ganglionic visceral nerve fibres. J. Physiol. 22, 215–230 (1897).

Article  CAS  PubMed  PubMed Central  Google Scholar 

Langley, J. N. The Autonomic Nervous System Part 1 (Heffer, 1921).

Gibbons, C. H. Basics of autonomic nervous system function. Handb. Clin. Neurol. 160, 407–418 (2019).

Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

Guyenet, P. G. The sympathetic control of blood pressure. Nat. Rev. Neurosci. 7, 335–346 (2006).

Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

Goldstein, D. S. Differential responses of components of the autonomic nervous system. Handb. Clin. Neurol. 117, 13–22 (2013).

Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

Nakamura, K., Nakamura, Y. & Kataoka, N. A hypothalamomedullary network for physiological responses to environmental stresses. Nat. Rev. Neurosci. 23, 35–52 (2022).

Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

Gibbins, I. Functional organization of autonomic neural pathways. Organogenesis 9, 169–175 (2013).

Article  PubMed  PubMed Central  Google Scholar 

Jänig, W. & McLachlan, E. M. Characteristics of function-specific pathways in the sympathetic nervous system. Trends Neurosci. 15, 475–481 (1992).

Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

Coverdell, T. C., Abbott, S. B. G. & Campbell, J. N. Molecular cell types as functional units of the efferent vagus nerve. Semin. Cell Dev. Biol. 156, 210–218 (2024).

Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

Tao, J. et al. Highly selective brain-to-gut communication via genetically defined vagus neurons. Neuron 109, 2106–2115.e4 (2021). This study describes two genetically defined parasympathetic preganglionic neuron populations that form anatomical wiring with distinct enteric circuits.

Article  CAS  PubMed  PubMed Central  Google Scholar 

Veerakumar, A., Yung, A. R., Liu, Y. & Krasnow, M. A. Molecularly defined circuits for cardiovascular and cardiopulmonary control. Nature 606, 739–746 (2022). This paper defines two distinct parasympathetic preganglionic neuron types that independently regulate cardiac or coordinated cardiopulmonary function through parallel efferent circuits.

Article  CAS  PubMed  PubMed Central  Google Scholar 

Mapps, A. A. et al. Diversity of satellite glia in sympathetic and sensory ganglia. Cell Rep. 38, 110328 (2022). In this study, the authors reveal the molecular heterogeneity of satellite glia in sympathetic and sensory ganglia.

Article  CAS  PubMed  PubMed Central  Google Scholar 

Sharma, S. et al. Tiered sympathetic control of cardiac function revealed by viral tracing and single cell transcriptome profiling. eLife 12, e86295 (2023). This study characterizes the morphological, electrophysiological and physiological properties of cardiac-innervating sympathetic postganglionic neurons.

Article  CAS  PubMed  PubMed Central  Google Scholar 

Ziegler, K. A. et al. Immune-mediated denervation of the pineal gland underlies sleep disturbance in cardiac disease. Science 381, 285–290 (2023). In this study, the authors report that cardiac disease induces inflammation in the superior cervical ganglion, leading to sympathetic denervation of the pineal gland.

Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

Wang, T., Teng, B., Yao, D. R., Gao, W. & Oka, Y. Organ-specific sympathetic innervation defines visceral functions. Nature 637, 895–902 (2025). This study identifies molecularly distinct sympathetic postganglionic neurons with organ-specific projections that independently control digestion and gastrointestinal transit.

Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

Berthoud, H.-R. & Neuhuber, W. L. Vagal mechanisms as neuromodulatory targets for the treatment of metabolic disease. Ann. N. Y. Acad. Sci. 1454, 42–55 (2019).

Article  PubMed  PubMed Central  Google Scholar 

Martinez-Sanchez, N. et al. The sympathetic nervous system in the 21st century: neuroimmune interactions in metabolic homeostasis and obesity. Neuron 110, 3597–3626 (2022).

Article  CAS  PubMed  PubMed Central  Google Scholar 

Pongratz, G. & Straub, R. H. The sympathetic nervous response in inflammation. Arthritis Res. Ther. 16, 504 (2014).

Article  PubMed  PubMed Central  Google Scholar 

Udit, S., Blake, K. & Chiu, I. M. Somatosensory and autonomic neuronal regulation of the immune response. Nat. Rev. Neurosci. 23, 157–171 (2022).

Article  CAS  PubMed