From Molecule to Behavior: Hypocretin/orexin Revisited From a Sex-dependent Perspective

Abstract

The hypocretin/orexin (Hcrt/Orx) system in the perifornical lateral hypothalamus has been recognized as a critical node in a complex network of neuronal systems controlling both physiology and behavior in vertebrates. Our understanding of the Hcrt/Orx system and its array of functions and actions has grown exponentially in merely 2 decades. This review will examine the latest progress in discerning the roles played by the Hcrt/ Orx system in regulating homeostatic functions and in executing instinctive and learned behaviors. Furthermore, the gaps that currently exist in our knowledge of sex-related differences in this field of study are discussed.