Fine-tuning protein hunger: sex- and mating-dependent setpoint control

While a balanced intake of macronutrients — carbohydrates, fats, and proteins — is essential for metabolic homeostasis, animals need higher protein intake during critical life stages like pregnancy. A recent paper in Cell by Wu et al. introduces the novel concept of adjusting protein intake setpoints based on sex and mating status, using two opposing G protein-coupled receptor (GPCR) signaling pathways that regulate protein appetite-controlling neurons in the fruit fly, Drosophila melanogaster.