Gene Regulatory Programs in the Development of Hypothalamic Arcuate Nucleus Neurons

Neurons in the hypothalamic arcuate nucleus (ARC) relay and translate important cues from the periphery into the central nervous system to maintain critical homeostatic processes such as energy balance, growth, and reproductive behaviors. Despite extensive studies dedicated to unraveling the physiological functions of various neuronal types in the ARC, the gene regulatory networks that drive their development are still poorly understood. This chapter provides a concise overview of the transcription factors that control the development of ARC neurons, followed by discussions of several outstanding challenges in the field and future directions to address those issues using the recent technological advances in genome-wide studies.